


Machinations

by Valaskia



Series: Manipulation Saga [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complete, Multi, Oral Sex, Threesome - F/F/M, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 13:06:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 48,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18476839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valaskia/pseuds/Valaskia
Summary: Sequel to Manipulation. Ron inherits new responsibilities, a new year at Hogwarts begins, and the war rages. What does the future hold? Ron/Ginny/Fleur/Luna pairing. Possible future harem. Those who find such pairings offensive are not required to read this FICTIONAL story.





	1. Inheritance

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money from this story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron receives a startling inheritance.

Machinations

Previously…

Molly let out a startled gasp as Dumbledore shifted in his seat and continued. "The headship of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore has been passed down through my family for generations, however sadly, I am the last of my line. I never had any children, so I have arranged, through Gringotts and the Wizengamot, a specially designated heir apparent to inherit my estate. Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley."

Shocked, the girls all turned to face an equally stunned Ron. "I don't believe it," Molly said softly.

And now…

Chapter 1

"He left Ron his entire estate?" Molly inquired, surprised as the image of Dumbledore disappeared from view.

"That is correct," Razorclaw replied, matter-of-fact.

"I don't believe it. Why me?" Ron thought to himself.

"Merlin's beard." Ginny breathed.

"Ginny, language," Molly said tersely.

"Sorry, mum," Ginny replied.

"What exactly has Ron inherited?" Hermione asked, turning to face Razorclaw.

"The inheritance decree is listed as follows."

"Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley, should he choose to accept this inheritance will become known as Ronald Bilius Weasley Dumbledore…" Razorclaw paused at the collective gasp before continuing. "…and shall inherit the following rights, properties, and privileges of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore."

Razorclaw pulled a folder and small black lacquered box out of a drawer and placed them on the desk in front of him before opening the folder and reading from a piece of parchment. "Firstly, the Headship ring for the House of Dumbledore." At this Razorclaw opened the box on his desk revealing a large square cut onyx ring set in a steel band, with the letter "D" carved into the onyx stone which he offered to Ron, who eagerly accepted it and slipped it onto his finger.

"Upon donning the Headship Ring and accepting the inheritance, Ronald Bilius Weasley Dumbledore shall inherit the following privileges. "House Dumbledore's hereditary seat on the Wizengamot…" Another collective gasp.

"Ron will have a seat on the Wizengamot for life?" Molly asked, shocked as the girls and Ron shared surprised looks.

"Correct, Wizard Weasley Dumbledore and all his sons and grandsons shall hold the hereditary seat in perpetuity," Razorclaw stated before continuing where he left off. "…The overlordship of House Dumbledore's vassal houses. House Weasley, House McGonagall, House Shacklebolt and House Moody." Razorclaw paused to let this sink in.

"So, I'm now overlord of House Weasley?" Ron wondered, aloud.

"Correct, Wizard Weasley Dumbledore," Razorclaw stated, setting the parchment down and withdrawing another from the folder he was holding.

"Wizard Weasley Dumbledore shall also inherit the following properties. A fifty percent ownership of the Hogs Head Inn in Hogsmeade, 10 percent ownership of Honeydukes Sweets, 12 percent ownership of the Daily Prophet, the Barrows residence which is the ancestral seat of House Dumbledore with all its attendant lands and incomes, a chateau in France, a small country house in Kent, those possessions in Wizard Dumbledore's vault which have not been designated for others in his will, and the monetary sum of 3,235,457 gold galleons, 6 sickles and 11 knuts. If you are not already aware, the ring on your finger will also function as a bank card at most shops here in Diagon Alley and as a portkey to the three houses you have inherited, Wizard Weasley Dumbledore." Razorclaw finished.

Ron let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. "Bloody hell, I'm rich." He thought to himself.

"That's wonderful news, Ron. Dumbledore has secured your future." Molly said turning to face him as Ginny smiled.

"I'm very happy for you Ron," Hermione said proudly.

"Now as to Miss Granger," Razorclaw said. "Wizard Dumbledore has left you a number of rare and unique texts, some of which he authored himself as well as the monetary sum of 1,500 gold galleons to cover the cost of your desired apprenticeship in the Ministry's Spellcrafter guild. The money has already been placed in your vault here at Gringotts." Razorclaw continued, offering a shrunken and neatly wrapped parcel of books to Hermione.

"Wizard Dumbledore has also left his cherished broomstick, a firebolt, to young Miss Ginevra Weasley, so that she may more easily pursue her desired career in Quidditch," Razorclaw said, offering a second, shrunken and neatly wrapped parcel to Ginny.

"That concludes the dispensation of Wizard Dumbledore's estate. Now unless you have other business, I will wish you a pleasant afternoon and escort you to the bank lobby." Razorclaw stated, politely.

Standing, they thanked Razorclaw for his time and followed him back out into the lobby of Gringotts. Finished with their business at Gringotts, the group led by Mrs. Weasley started out into Diagon Alley.

"Hermione, Ron. I'll leave the two of you to do some exploring for a bit while I take Ginny to Madam Claremont's. We'll all meet up at Madam Malkin's to buy your new school robes in half an hour. Oh, and I suppose you'll also need new formal robes now, for the Wizengamot, Ronald. I still can't believe it. I'm so happy for you, dear." Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Ron into a hug.

Suppressing a groan, Ron squirmed uncomfortably as Mrs. Weasley released him and took Ginny's hand. "Let's go, Ginny dear. Be safe you two." She called to them before setting off down the alley.

"What should we do now?" Ron asked, looking to Hermione.

"I want to stop by the Magical Menagerie and pick up some treats for Crookshanks," Hermione said, leading the way down the alley. As they entered the shop, Ron and Hermione spotted Neville and his grandmother standing at the counter talking to the clerk.

"Are you sure he's alright? Trevor hasn't been looking well for the last few days and I'm worried." Neville said.

"I'm positive, young man. I think if you follow the change in diet I recommended, he'll be fine." The clerk said, handing the toad back to Neville with a smile.

"Thank you. Let's go, Neville." Augusta Longbottom said, turning towards the door.

"Ah, young Mr. Weasley. It's a pleasure to see you. I understand Dumbledore named you his heir in his will. Does that mean you'll be taking up his seat in the Wizengamot this year?" Augusta asked, sizing him up.

Startled by the sudden query and the fact that he had had very little interaction with the woman previously, Ron nodded somewhat awkwardly. "Yes, ma'am. I have every intention of doing so." He replied nervously.

"Excellent. I myself hold the Longbottom Regency until Neville here comes of age and is able to fulfill his duties on the Wizengamot." Augusta said placing a hand on Neville's shoulder. "It was nice talking to you. Good day. Come along, Neville." She continued, taking Neville's hand.

"Bye, Ron, Hermione. See you at Hogwarts." Neville said following his grandmother out of the store.

Turning towards the counter, Hermione quickly stepped forward. "How can I help you today?" The clerk asked, glancing curiously at Ron.

"I'm looking for treats for a half-kneazle cat. What would you recommend?" Hermione asked.

"Ah yes, well most kneazles tend to prefer this brand of cat treat. It's a little more expensive but worth it." The clerk said, handing Hermione a box marked, "Cassidy's Salmon treats. Mmmm good."

Hermione took the box, looking it over and nodded. "I'll take it." She said, taking out her purse.

"Excellent choice. Two sickles please." The clerk replied, taking the money Hermione offered him.

Leaving the shop, Ron and Hermione browsed the alley a bit, stopping to look inside Quality Quidditch Supplies where Ron bought a Chudley Cannons jersey before heading towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were waiting.

"Ah, there you two are. Let's get your robes first then we'll get your books from Flourish and Blotts." Mrs. Weasley said, leading them inside.

When they walked in Madam Malkin appeared, walking over to greet them. "Welcome, how may I help you today?"

"Ah yes, we need three sets of school robes, three sets of casual dress robes, and a set of formal Wizengamot robes for my son here. He's inherited a hereditary seat from Headmaster Dumbledore." Molly said, beaming at Ron.

"Good heavens. It's a pleasure to have such a distinguished person in my shop. Albus Dumbledore was one of the finest wizards I've ever met and a long-time customer at my store." Madam Malkin stated, waving a pair of assistants over. "They will help the young ladies with their robes and I'll tend to you personally. Wizengamot robes. My goodness." Madam Malkin stated, shaking her head and pulling several robes from the nearby racks as the shop assistants helped Ginny and Hermione.

After what seemed like forever to Ron, they stepped out of Madam Malkin's, leaving behind a pair of whispering shop assistants and a gushing Madam Malkin who promised to have the robes finished as soon as possible and delivered to the burrow by house-elf later that day. They then proceeded across the street to Flourish and Blotts where they bought their school books for that year before taking the floo from the Leaky Cauldron back to the burrow while Hermione flooed to her parents' house.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Arriving at the burrow, Molly ushered them inside. "Ron, Ginny, go put your things away while I start lunch." Mrs. Weasley stated, heading towards the kitchen as Ron and Ginny headed up the stairs towards their rooms.

Ron stowed his books on the desk in his room and tossed his jersey on his bed. It had been a long morning and he needed to relax. Deciding to have some more fun with Ginny before lunch he headed down the stairs and stopped at the landing outside Ginny's room and knocked. "Hey, Gin Gin. Can I come in?" Ron asked.

TBC

Next Chapter. Ron spends time with Ginny, the family finds out about Ron's good fortune and news from the war front.


	2. Inheritance Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron's new inheritance begins to impact his life.

Machinations

Chapter 2

The door opened revealing Ginny dressed in a hot pink t-shirt which was stretched over her ample tits and a denim skirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Ron, what do you…mmph…" Ginny started, cut off as Ron forced his way inside her room, pulling her into a kiss as he closed the door behind him with his foot, his hands moving to grope her pert ass, smacking the firm cheeks.

"Ron, what are you doing? Mum could come up at any moment." Ginny said, pulling back from him.

"No, she won't, Gin Gin. She's busy making lunch. You heard her." Ron said, casting locking and silencing charms on the door before stuffing his wand in his pocket and reaching down to unfasten his jeans.

"Ron, please. Not in the house." Ginny tried desperately.

"Fine then. Tonight, in the barn. I'm going to fuck you senseless tonight, Gin Gin." Ron said, sighing and fastening up his pants again.

"For goodness sake, Ron. You're a member of the Wizengamot now. We have to stop doing this." Ginny said quietly, sitting down on the bed.

Ron sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest. "Your mine, Gin Gin. I'll decide when we stop. I love you." Ron muttered, claiming her lips in a kiss, ignoring her weak attempts to push him away.

"But Ron…" Ginny sighed, trailing off slowly and looking away.

"You can say what you want, Gin Gin, but I know you enjoy it as much as I do," Ron said, smirking, leaning back against the cool wooden headboard.

"That's not the point, Ron," Ginny stated, shaking her head.

"Then what is the point?" Ron asked, looking at her.

"You're the lord of an Ancient and Noble House now, and a member of the Wizengamot. You need to look to the future. You're going to have to marry one day and sire an heir to inherit your legacy." Ginny said softly.

"You can be my bride, Gin Gin. Spread your legs for me and bear my heirs." Ron said, smirking from where he lay reclining against the headboard of her bed.

"This isn't a joke, Ron. You should take this seriously. You need a well-born bride to further your line." Ginny stated firmly, her cheeks flushing crimson at his words.

"I'm being serious, Gin. You belong to me. I'll not let anyone else have you." Ron said, pulling her into his arms and hugging her possessively to his chest.

Sighing, Ginny swatted him on the arm before laying her head on his shoulder. "You're going to have to grow up soon enough, Ron. The real world isn't all fun and games." She thought to herself.

They spent the next half hour cuddling in Ginny's bed before Ron's stomach gave a loud rumble and Ginny sighed, shaking her head. "Let's go downstairs. Lunch should be ready by now." She stated, standing up and heading towards the door.

Walking into the kitchen Ginny and Ron sat at the table, where Mrs. Weasley had laid out a platter of corned beef sandwiches and a pitcher of ice-cold pumpkin juice. "Oh kids, there you are. Your new robes arrived from Madam Malkin's. After you finish your lunch go hang them up neatly in your closets." Mrs. Weasley said, bustling about the kitchen.

Helping themselves to sandwiches, Ron and Ginny nodded. "Yes, mum." They both said. Just then a tawny owl flew in the kitchen window and landed on the table in front of Ron, stretching out its leg with a letter attached.

Ron untied the letter and the owl flew away. Turning it over in his hand, Ron paled when he saw the Ministry of Magic insignia on the front. "It's from the Ministry," Ron said, opening the letter.

"Read it out loud, Ron. What does it say?" Mrs. Weasley asked, sitting down at the table.

Unfolding the parchment Ron read the document aloud.

"Dear Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley Dumbledore.

"We the Ministry of Magic, Magical Inheritances department, would like to congratulate you on your acceptance of the Lordship of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore. Please come to our offices in the Ministry, at your earliest convenience, to sign important documents relating to your inheritance."

Hoping you are well,

Athelbert Waldermann.

Head of the Department of Magical Inheritances

Folding the letter up, Ron sighed. "Great, another outing to a stuffy old office." He thought.

Just then another owl flew in the window and landed on the table in front of Ron, sticking out its leg. "Good heavens." Molly gasped.

Wondering what this letter was about, Ron relieved the owl of its burden and examined the envelope, this one bearing the official insignia of the Wizengamot on the front cover. Opening the envelope, he read the second letter aloud.

"Dear Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley Dumbledore.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome you into the exalted ranks of the Wizengamot. You will be inducted into our august body at the next sitting of the Wizengamot, at Eleven o'clock on the morning of October 16th of this year. You are to arrive at least one full hour before the Wizengamot sits if possible, to discuss matters relating to your new station and its responsibilities. Please dress accordingly."

Sincerely yours,

Tiberius Ogden

Speaker of the Wizengamot.

Ron let out a breath and looked around the table. "Oh Ron, this is so wonderful. We'll go to the Ministry tomorrow afternoon to fill out the forms you need to take care of and then we will have a big family dinner tomorrow night to celebrate. I'm going to go floo call, everyone, right now. Your father will be so proud." Mrs. Weasley gushed, smiling profusely and standing up from the table, walking into the den.

Ron and Ginny finished their lunch and then carried the unshrunk parcels containing their robes from Madam Malkin's to their rooms to hang them up in the closets. When Ron walked back down the stairs he saw Ginny on the landing outside her room holding her new firebolt.

"Hey Ron, do you want to go for a fly? I want to try out my new broom." Ginny asked. "Sure. I'll go get my broom from the shed and meet you out in the orchard." Ron said as they headed outside.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

It had begun to get dark by the time they returned to the house a few hours later and stowed their brooms safely in the garden shed. Walking inside, they went up to change clothes before heading downstairs to the den.

"Good news, kids. Fred and George are taking the evening off from their store tomorrow to come here for dinner, and Bill and Fleur will be here too. Oh, and Ron, I talked to your father and he said to tell you he's proud of you too." Molly said, looking up at them from a chair in the den where she sat reading a copy of "Useful Spells for the Home."

"When's dad coming home?" Ginny asked sitting down on the sofa.

"He won't be home until late tonight or early tomorrow, I'm afraid." Molly sighed, before continuing. "After the attack on Hogwarts earlier this year, the Ministry sent him and several other departments to investigate the room where the death eaters got in. They want everything in that room sorted and cataloged before the new school year starts next month, in case there is anything else that could pose a threat to the security of Hogwarts.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Late that night after everyone was asleep, Ron and Ginny snuck out of the house and crept across the lawn, moving quickly towards the barn. Opening the door for her, Ron followed Ginny inside, closing the door behind him and casting the usual charms before quickly stripping out of his clothes, his eyes wandering over to Ginny who was quickly doing the same.

Taking her hand, Ron pulled her into his arms, his hands settling on her hips, he lifted her up off the ground and pulled her tight against him, her legs wrapping around his waist as he ground his cock against her core. "Gods Ginny. I want you so bad." Ron said, gazing into her eyes as he pressed her roughly up against the hard-stone wall of the barn.

Reaching down, Ron guided the head of his cock past her glistening pink lips and buried himself inside her to the hilt with one long, slow thrust, a loud moan escaping his lips as Ginny clung tight to his shoulders, her heels pulling him deeper inside her. "Do you love me, Ron? Truly?" She whispered into his ear, afraid to breathe.

"Mmm fuck yes. More than anything, Gin Gin." Ron muttered softly, his eyes shut tight as he thrust in and out of her wet, warm cunny, his hands on her hips, his lips trailing soft kisses across her alabaster skin. Her mind racing, Ginny tried to lose herself in the moment.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Ron woke up the next morning and dressed quickly, his stomach rumbling. Casting a quick tempus charm, 12:16 pm, Ron sighed. He had been up late last night with Ginny in the barn. Starting down the stairs, Ron passed Ginny's room. The door was open, and Ginny was in her room, lying on her bed reading one of her new school texts.

"Hey, Gin," Ron said, smiling softly when she looked up at him.

Ginny looked up from her book, her eyes roaming over Ron's torso up to his face. Lately, she had found herself staring at him a lot when they were alone. He was rather attractive when he wasn't stuffing his face. Thoughts of last night flashing through her mind, Ginny flushed and looked away. "Hey, Ron. You missed breakfast by about six hours. Mom's starting lunch soon." She mumbled softly.

"Just great. I can't believe I missed breakfast again." Ron muttered, walking into her room and flopping down beside Ginny on her bed, his hand reaching out for hers, intertwining their fingers as he trailed kisses along her wrist.

"It's your own fault for sleeping all day, Ron," Ginny said, trying and failing to focus on her book.

"Well if you didn't keep me awake half the night, I wouldn't have slept all morning, Gin Gin," Ron said, smirking.

"Merlin, you're such an ass. Now shut your mouth. The door is open. Somebody could hear you." She said, jerking her arm away from him and angrily smacking his arm with her book.

Sighing, Ron leaned over her, kissing the back of her neck. "I'm sorry, Gin Gin. I love you." He whispered softly, causing her breath to hitch in her throat before he pulled away, standing up from the bed. "I'm going to go see if lunch is ready yet. Coming?" He asked, pausing in her doorway.

"Sure. Why not?" Ginny sighed, standing from her bed and following Ron down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen they found Mr. Weasley sitting at the table eating lunch. He looked up when they entered. "Ah kids, there you are. Ron, your mom told me the good news. I'm so proud of you." He said, setting down his knife and fork.

"It was delicious, dear. Thank you. I have to get to work now, but I arranged for Perkins to fill in for me, so I could make it home for dinner tonight." Mr. Weasley said, standing and kissing his wife goodbye. Underneath the table, Ginny swatted Ron's hand which had been inching slowly towards the hem of her skirt. Turning to glare at him, she saw him smirking at her.

As Mrs. Weasley put their lunch on the table, a brown barn owl flew in the window with the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet. Picking it up, Molly Weasley gasped, looking at the cover. On the front page in bold print.

"DUMBLEDORE'S HEIR IDENTIFIED"

Legendary Wizard Albus Dumbledore died two months ago, murdered by a member of the teaching staff, Potions Master Severus Tobias Snape who is now wanted for murder and war crimes, in what can only be described as an unforgivable act of betrayal by a trusted friend and longtime colleague.

We learned today that Dumbledore prepared a will, perhaps suspecting that he may be nearing his end, a year ago at Gringotts. The will was later ratified by both the Ministry and the Wizengamot and is officially recognized as legitimate and legally binding.

In his will, Albus Dumbledore, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore, names as his heir, a Mister Ronald Bilius Weasley. Credible sources have identified Mr. Weasley as the youngest son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, a student at Hogwarts in his Seventh year and a longtime friend of the Chosen One, Harry Potter himself. Mr. Weasley is now 17 and recognized as an adult, which means he can now claim the full rights and privileges of his new inheritance, which include the Lordship of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore, all of its wealth and properties, which we're told are extensive, and yes, even House Dumbledore's Hereditary seat on the Wizengamot. Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley is now among the most prominent young wizards in Wizarding Britain today, and we are told he is currently unattached, which is good news for all you witches out there. Witnesses state that Mr. Weasley left the bank after claiming his inheritance and visited a number of shops in Diagon Alley.

This article brought to you by Rita Skeeter, a reporter for the Daily Prophet."

Ron sat stunned as his mother finished reading the article. "I'm famous now. Rich and famous just like Harry is." He thought to himself, pride swelling within him. Turning to face Ginny, he grinned before digging into his lunch with gusto.

TBC

Next Chapter. Ron visits the Ministry, the Weasleys have a family dinner at the Burrow and Ron becomes jealous.


	3. Falling Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Weasleys have a falling out.

Chapter 3

"Hurry up and finish your lunch kids. We have to take Ron to the Ministry to fill out the parchment work for his inheritance." Molly said, clearing away the dirty dishes after they finished eating and moving to place them in the sink. Just then a series of loud pops sounded in the kitchen, to the right of Ron.

Startled out of their wits, Ron and Ginny nearly coughed up their lunch while Molly dropped the plate she was holding, letting it fall to the floor and shatter as she whipped around pointing her wand. Standing to Ron's right were five house-elves dressed in pillowcases with the Dumbledore House crest stitched on the front upper right corner.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Molly said, moving quickly to stand between the elves and her children, her wand pointing straight at them.

"We's beings elveses sworn to House Dumbleydore." The elf in front said, bowing.

"We's comes to swears to Weazey Dumbleydore nows." The elf to the right said, bowing low, its ears flopping.

Mouth agape, Ron stood slowly, stepping around his mother and approaching the elves. "I'm Ron, err I mean Wizard Weasley Dumbledore." He said slowly. Bowing again, the elves moved forward.

"I is being Marshmallow. Dumbleydore's elf." The elf in the lead said, before pointing to the three elves to his left, who bowed. "They is being Jelly, Taffy, and Twizzlers. They is looking after the Barrows house and the country house." Marshmallow continued.

"And I is being Licorice. I is takings care of the chateau in France." The elf to the right said bowing.

"Why are they all named after sweets?" Molly wondered aloud, albeit quietly.

"They're Dumbledore's elves, mum," Ginny whispered, shaking her head.

"Of course. How silly of me." Molly whispered, turning to watch as each of the elves swore fealty to Ron and sealed their magical bonds with him. Stepping forward, Marshmallow spoke again. "May we's be asking when Master will be visiting the houses to adjust the wardses?" He asked quietly.

"Um, well I err." He started. It hadn't occurred to him before to inspect the properties he now owned. "I suppose I could do it later today," Ron said, remembering what Razorclaw had said about his ring functioning as a portkey.

The elves all bowed low again, before all popping away to resume their normal duties, save for Marshmallow, who remained behind, standing at Ron's side. "Does Master have any work for me?" Marshmallow asked, hopefully.

Thinking to himself for a minute, Ron snapped his fingers. "Go clean my room, polish my broom and then go de-gnome the garden. After that, you can tend to the lawn and help my mom around the house until I need you again." Ron said, smirking.

"At once, Master," Marshmallow said, popping away. Ron turned to face his mom and sister with a grin.

"I have house-elves. Five of them." He said, grinning from ear to ear.

"How wonderful for you dear. And it will be nice to have an extra pair of hands around to help out with some of the housework for a change." Molly said happily, turning back to the sink.

"Oh my." Molly started, finding the dishes had already been cleared away, washed and dried and were stowing themselves neatly in the cabinets. The shattered plate on the floor had been repaired, washed and stowed away as well. "I guess having a house-elf will be more useful than I thought." She wondered aloud, turning back around.

Looking out the window, Ron spotted gnomes flying through the air, their arms and legs flailing uselessly, and landing well beyond the garden fence. "Wow. This is so cool. Gin, you have got to come and see this." He said, laughing as another gnome flew, screeching over the garden fence.

Ginny joined him, laughing when she spotted the scene. "You're right, Ron. That is hilarious. I needed a good laugh today."

"Ron go up and get changed into your formal dress robes. We need to go to the Ministry to fill out your parchment work for your inheritance. You too, Ginny." Mrs. Weasley said, ushering them upstairs.

On the landing just outside Ginny's room, Ron paused and pushed Ginny up against the wall, his lips trailing kisses across her neck. "Wear that cute yellow summer dress of yours, Gin Gin," Ron whispered his hands coming to rest on her thighs.

Quickly pushing him away, she nodded. "Fine. I'll wear it if you promise to stop doing this right out in the open where anyone can see." Ginny whispered, punching him hard in the arm, an angry look on her face, her eyes scanning the hallway to the left and right.

Just then, a quiet pop to their right sounded, and Marshmallow appeared. "Not to worry, Master and Miss Weasey. Your mother beings in the den on the floo. Nobody else is beings ins the house. Also, Master, I have laid out your formal robeses." Marshmallow squeaked, startling the pair who jumped and spun around.

"Bloody hell. You better not say anything to anyone about what I do with Ginny, elf." Ron squeaked, clearly afraid and on edge.

"Master has no needs to be worryings. Marshmallow is being a good elf and protecting his master's and lady's secretses." Marshmallow said, bowing.

"Good. Sorry for snapping at you, Marshmallow. I'm grate…wait, My lady? You mean Ginny?" Ron asked, looking from the elf to Ginny and back again. "She's not my lady, she's just my sister," Ron said confused. Both he and Ginny looked at each other uncertainly before turning to face Marshmallow who spoke again.

"Master has asked Miss Ginny to beings his lady yesterday," Marshmallow replied, matter-of-fact.

Gulping, Ron turned to glance at Ginny before facepalming. "Bloody hell." He muttered quietly.

"Let's just go get ready, Ron," Ginny said disappearing inside her room, the lock clicking on the door behind her.

Trudging up the stairs, Ron opened his bedroom door and gasped. He barely recognized his room now. The hardwood floor had been cleared of all the rubbish and clothes that had been carelessly tossed and neatly swept. The bed was perfectly made, and his dress robes had been neatly pressed and laid out on his Chudley Cannons bedspread. At the foot of the bed, his dress shoes were polished and sat waiting for him. Over in the corner of the room, Pig's root had been polished, the water dish and bowl of owl treats refreshed. His old wooden desk had been mended and was good as new, with his recent owl post stacked and laid neatly on the center. On the bookshelf along the wall, his school books and Quidditch books had been dusted and straightened up to neatly line the shelves.

Stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, Ron quickly stripped down, tossing his clothes to the floor, which promptly vanished, he assumed to be laundered. Ron quickly changed into his new formal black dress robes and pulled on his brand-new pair of matching dress shoes, before making his way back down the stairs to the den, where his mom stood waiting by the fireplace.

"Oh, you look so handsome, dear." Molly gushed, crossing the room and fussing over him. Ginny walked into the room about twenty minutes later, dressed in her yellow summer dress and matching heels, her hair neatly done up.

"Wow." Ron thought to himself, turning to face her.

"My goodness, Ginny. You are beautiful today. Don't you agree, Ron?" Molly breathed pulling her into a hug.

Ron quickly shook his head to clear it and smiled. "Um, yeah. You look awesome, Gin." He mumbled, trying to act casual.

"Well let's go, dears. I just floo called to make an appointment so they know we are coming today." Molly said ushering them towards the fireplace.

Ron took a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace and called, "Ministry of Magic Atrium," before stepping into the fireplace and vanishing in a swirl of green flame.

Ron closed his eyes, as the flames swirled around him, random fireplaces zipping by at lightspeed before he came to a stop in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Stepping out of the fireplace, Ron looked around anxiously as the fireplace flared to life again behind him, his mother and Ginny stepping out of the fireplace and clearing soot from their robes with a banishing charm.

"Ah, there you are. You must be young Mr. Weasley." A tall man with graying hair, dressed in black robes with emerald trim said, striding up. And you must be his mother and sister." The man said, turning to address them.

"Err, yes. That's correct. And you are?" Molly asked looking the man over.

"Gregory Zabini, Head of the Ancient House of Zabini." The man said with what Ron assumed was meant to be a smile. "A pleasure to meet you all. And congratulations on your sudden elevation, my lord." He said nodding to Ron before walking away.

"I wonder what that was all about," Ginny said, as they walked to the clerk in the atrium.

"Aren't the Zabinis a dark family?" Ron asked.

"No, I think they are neutral, but the heir, Blaise, is in Slytherin along with Malfoy and his friends," Ginny replied.

"Hush now, kids. That's no kind of talk to have in public." Molly said as they stopped at the security desk.

"Wands please." The bored-looking security guard stated, barely looking up as he took their wands to weigh. "Very well. Thank you for visiting the Ministry of Magic. Be about your business." He said handing them back.

Filing into the lifts, a few paper memos buzzing overhead, Ron sighed. "How long is this going to take?" he thought to himself. The lift dinged and the doors opened, a few memos flying out as a cool voice spoke. "Floor One, Department of Magical Games and Sports." The doors closed again, and Ron sighed.

"Floor Two. Department of Magical Transportation." Again, the lift dinged and the doors opened, another memo leaving the lift as two more flew in. Finally, the lift dinged, and the voice came back. "Floor Six. Department of Magical Inheritances." Stepping out of the lift, they strode up to the secretary's desk.

"What can I do for you today?" A blonde woman dressed in a pair of apricot robes and matching hat asked, looking up from her copy of Witch Weekly.

"We have an appointment to fill out papers regarding a magical inheritance for my son, Ron Weasley, err Dumbledore," Molly said.

"Very well. I'll let Mr. Waldermann know you're here, my lord." The secretary said pushing a button on her desk.

"Yes?" A voice spoke.

"Lord Weasley Dumbledore is here to see you about his inheritance parchment work." The woman spoke.

"Very well. Send him in." Waldermann replied.

"This way please, my lord. Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am. Only Lord Weasley Dumbledore." The woman spoke, standing and leading Ron through to the next room, leaving Molly huffing in indignation.

Stepping into the next room, Ron looked around the medium-sized office lined with magical filing cabinets and bookshelves. On a shelf in the corner sat a Pensieve. Shaking his head Ron approached the desk as a balding man in his mid-sixties stood up and approached him from behind the desk.

"Welcome Lord Weasley Dumbledore. I'm Athelbert Waldermann. I just have a few forms for you to sign stating that you have accepted the inheritance and all that it entails as well as a few property transfer forms and then we'll have you on your way in no time. If you'll have a seat." Waldermann said sitting down behind his desk.

Ron sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and took the quill that was offered as he glanced over the forms in front of him. They seemed to be in order, what he could understand of them and signed his name where indicated. "Thank you, Lord Weasley Dumbledore. Have a pleasant day." Waldermann said as Ron exited his office and walked back into the lobby.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Later that evening…

Sitting at the dining room table, Ron smiled to himself as his brothers clapped him on the back and congratulated him on his new status. "I don't believe it. A lord of an Ancient and Noble House. My little brother." Bill said, smiling.

"I know, right? Who would have guessed that ickle Ronnikens would wind up a lord and a member of the Wizengamot to boot?" George said ruffling Ron's hair. Shrugging George's hand aside, Ron glared. "Boy, is Percy going to have a fit," Fred said pausing as Arthur frowned at the mention of his third son.

As Molly was dishing out bowls of peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, Ron's favorite dessert, a regal-looking eagle owl flew into the room clutching a sealed scroll and landed in front of Arthur, sticking out its leg. Relieving it of its burden, Arthur took the scroll and broke the seal, opening it to read as the owl flew away.

"What is it, Arthur? What does it say?" Molly asked curiously as Arthur finished reading the scroll and looked up. "It's a betrothal contract from Gregory Zabini…for his son and Ginny," Arthur stated, dumbfounded.

"What? Why would he send a betrothal contract to us?" Molly asked snatching the scroll from Arthur's hand to read.

"Blaise is a Slytherin. They're no good. You can't let this stand." Fred said as George nodded.

"It's outrageous. How could he think we'd possibly accept such a request?" George said beside him.

"House Zabini is an Ancient House. They're most likely trying to raise their standing in society by arranging a marriage to Ginny with their heir now that Ron is a Lord and member of the Wizengamot." Bill said, from his spot to Arthur's right.

"How could they think I'd simply go along with such a request? I'm not some piece of property." Ginny stated angrily.

"Absolutely not. I won't consent to allow Ginny to marry some filthy snake. I forbid it. Do you hear?" Ron snapped standing angrily from the table.

"Now Ronald. I understand you're angry, but I'm the head of House Weasley and as such…" Arthur started.

"House Weasley owes fealty to me. What you want is irrelevant. I forbid this." Ron snapped, storming over to Ginny and grabbing her by the wrist. The ring on Ron's hand flashed and, in an instant, the two were gone.

TBC


	4. Consequnces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Ginny leave the Burrow and receive a visitor.

Previously on Machinations…

"House Weasley owes fealty to me. What you want is irrelevant. I forbid this." Ron snapped, storming over to Ginny and grabbing her by the wrist. The ring on Ron's hand flashed and, in an instant, the two were gone.

Chapter 4

Ron found himself standing in the middle of a neatly paved driveway leading to an immense manor house a few yards in front of him. The lawn to either side looked very well cared for and looking around, Ron spotted a large stone fence with an ironwork gate that appeared to surround the entire property.

"Ron where are we?" Ginny snapped yanking her arm free of his grip.

"I'm not sure, Gin Gin," Ron muttered.

"How did we even get here? Do you think death eaters could be lurking around here? It's big enough to be Malfoy's mansion." Ginny whispered, looking around the immense lawn and manor house. They appeared to be on the front lawn, currently.

"I don't know, Gin Gin. Stay close to me." Ron said as he drew his wand.

"Ron, I don't have my wand on me. I left it in my room. What are we going to do?" Ginny stated. Just then they heard a pop and an elf appeared bowing.

"Welcome to the Barrows, Master, and Lady." The elf said bowing.

"I know you. You're Jelly, right? One of Dumbledore's elves. Ron, we're at the Barrows. Dumbledore's ancestral home." Ginny stated, relieved. Turning back to Jelly, Ginny asked, "Can you help us get home?"

Angry, his cheeks flushing, Ron snapped. "No. We're not going back to the Burrow, Gin Gin. I own this place and I'm staying. And so are you, Gin."

"What…but Ron." Ginny started, but Ron ignored her.

Turning back to face Jelly, Ron spoke again. "Can you have all mine and Ginny's things brought over from our rooms in the Burrow and brought here to the Barrows?" Ron asked.

Jelly paused, closing her eyes for a moment then nodded. "It be beings done now, Master. Youse's thingies be being placed in the Master Bedroom and Lady's quarters. Would you like to come inside now? Taffy is makings tea and having it ready in the parlor." Jelly finished leading the way inside.

"But Ron, what about mum and dad? They've got to be worried sick by now. Mum will have hippogriffs and dad will be flooing the DMLE by now. Don't you care at all?" Ginny asked him as they were led through the entrance hall by Jelly.

"Look, Gin Gin. At least here we won't have to sneak around at night or in the shadows. The elves already call you my lady. Let's pretend that you are. We'll tell mum and dad where we are and that we are not coming back. Aren't you sick of having to hide, Gin Gin?" Ron said, pleading, his hands on Ginny's shoulders as he gazed into her eyes. Saying nothing, Ginny wrapped her arms around Ron's neck, her eyes closed as they kissed.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"Calm down, Molly. We'll find them. The clock says they're at home. I'm sure it's merely a case of an accidental apparition. They're probably in their rooms sulking or outside in the orchard. Bill and the twins went to look for them," Arthur said not entirely certain. Just then Fred and George burst into the room panting.

"Mum, dad. They're not up there and their stuff was vanishing from their rooms, right before our eyes." Fred said.

"It was so freaky." George finished.

Molly sobbed, now hysterical. A few minutes later Bill walked in. "Sorry. No luck. Fleur and I searched everywhere." He said, shaking his head.

"Wait a minute. You said that Ron owns house-elves. They will know where he is." George said brightening up.

Feeling more confident, Molly stood up straight. "Marshmallow." She said, and with a pop, Marshmallow appeared. "Marshmallow, do you know where Ron and Ginny are right now?" Molly asked looking hopefully at the little elf.

"Of course. Marshmallow is being a good house-elf and is knowing his master's location at all times." Marshmallow said, his bat-like ears flapping as he bowed.

"Oh, thank Merlin. Where are they?" Arthur asked.

"They is beings at home," Marshmallow said.

"But we just checked their rooms and the grounds. They aren't there, and all their stuff is gone." Molly said in a fit of hysteria.

"Master and lady is beings at home at the Barrows. They is asking to have theys thingies brought to them." Marshmallow stated.

"Wow. Do you mean that they've actually moved out? "George asked.

"Wicked," Fred said grinning.

"Over my dead body, they have. I demand you take me there at once." Molly said, standing and whipping out her wand.

"I is very sorry, ma'am, but only Master and his lady may pass beyond the wards and Marshmallow is being told not to be letting youses inside.

"Master and his lady?" Bill wondered to himself.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Walking through the corridors of the Barrows, Ron was overwhelmed. His new manor was enormous. The manor was two stories high, made of old red brick, with balconies overlooking the front and back lawns. In addition to the ground and top floors, there was also a basement floor. On the ground floor were the kitchens, cupboards, storerooms, parlors, formal dining room, a smaller informal dining room, attached garage, and an office.

The kitchen was twice as big as the kitchen at the burrow and included a number of modern muggle appliances. The manor was outfitted with electricity much to Ron's and Ginny's surprise. The formal dining room, Ron was told, could seat up to one hundred and fifty people while the informal dining room could seat twenty.

In the garage, Ron found a number of vintage muggle cars, carriages, and buggies. There was also a storage closet with several brooms that were very old but well maintained. In the office, where he now stood, Ron found a large mahogany desk with two magical filing cabinets, hardwood floors, antique lamps, a large window overlooking the grounds, and a number of tapestries and paintings hanging on the walls.

Behind one such painting, Ron found a small indentation, which Jelly told him he was supposed to press the stone of his house headship ring into. When he did so, a panel opened in the wall, revealing a large, old leather tome on an altar. It was the ward book. Only the lord of the manner could remove it. Anyone else who tried to do so would meet with a terrible fate, according to Jelly.

Taking the book from the altar, Ron sat it on the desk before sitting down in the high back leather desk chair and flipped the book open to the last page. A number of names were crossed out and a few others were still written in.

Minerva McGonagall

Alastor Moody

Aberforth Dumbledore

Severus Snape

Arthur Weasley

Molly Weasley

Remus Lupin

Filius Flitwick

Pamona Sprout

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Nymphadora Tonks

Harry Potter

Ron Weasley

Ginny Weasley

Hermione Granger

Fleur Delacour

Were still written in.

Taking out a quill from a drawer of the desk, Ron began crossing off some of the names in the book since he didn't want anyone to disturb his time alone with Ginny. When he finished, only four names remained in the book.

Ron Weasley

Ginny Weasley

Hermione Granger

Fleur Weasley, nee Delacour

Closing the book once more, he was startled when the book began to glow, and he felt a magical pulse emit from the book as the wards adjusted. Placing the book back on the altar, the panel closed, and the portrait snapped back into place over the indentation.

Wandering downstairs to the basement, Ron found a potions lab complete with a fully stocked storeroom under stasis charms, a library, a dueling hall, and what appeared to be the House Elves quarters. Heading back upstairs, Ron went to the second floor where he found a number of guest bedrooms, a nursery, the Lord and Lady's quarters and a private study and a family parlor. On the grounds outside there was a pool house, a garden with a supply shed, a small Quidditch pitch and surprisingly an empty stable.

Growing in the garden were a number of fruits, vegetables, herbs and rare plants that would one day become potion ingredients. According to the house-elves, the stable used to hold a number of thestrals, that now resided at Hogwarts under the care of Hagrid. The Quidditch pitch was well maintained, and an area-wide muggle notice me not ward existed around the entire property.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Apparating to a spot just outside the gate, Arthur, Molly, and Bill turned to look up at the vast Barrows estate. Banging on the door, Molly shouted, "Kids! Get out here right now. We're going home."

Just then a small pop sounded inside the gate. "Master Weasley Dumbledore is asking you to go away." Twizzlers said from where he stood just inside the gates, before popping away.

"Bill you're a professional ward breaker. Can't you do something to get us inside?" Molly said wringing her hands.

Activating his magesight, he approached the gate and scanned the wards surrounding the property for several minutes before shaking his head and sighing, turning to face his parents. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we're going to have much luck. There are numerous security wards, alert wards, notice me not wards, weather altering wards, anti-portkey and apparition wards, and even some really scary war wards on the entire property.

"Are you sure you can't overpower the wards somehow, Bill?" Molly inquired, desperately.

"I'm certain. The Barrows is situated over a number of different ley lines resulting in three magical nodes which power the wards, many of which Dumbledore appears to have created himself. It would take an army of ward breakers months to bring them down, and Ron will be alerted to our presence the minute we start." Bill sighed, deactivating his mage sight.

"Couldn't you ask the goblins to help us? They're professionals at this sort of thing, right?" Arthur inquired.

Bill shook his head. "The goblins don't concern themselves with the affairs of wizards. And even if they did, they won't risk getting involved in something like this."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"Well, Ron is the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House and a member of the Wizengamot. This is his estate now and he is of age. He has every right to live here. And since Ginny is his sister and here of her own consent, it's perfectly legal." Bill said shaking his head.

"I don't care. I want my babies." Molly said drawing her wand.

"Mom, no! Stop and think a moment. Attempting to sabotage the wards on the estate of a member of the Wizengamot is illegal. It's an automatic ten-year stay in Azkaban." Bill said, moving to stand in front of her, his arms spread wide.

"He's right, Molly. We have to think carefully. There must be some way to reach them in there. "Arthur stated.

"Err, Bill. 'Vat are you doing out 'zere?" Fleur asked from where she stood just inside the wards on the other side of the gate causing them to turn to look at her.

"Fleur how did you get inside?" Bill asked dumbfounded.

"I apparated 'ere to join you because I was worried. I must 'ave miscalculated and wound up inside 'ze estate." She said looking around.

"So, you can pass through the wards?" Bill asked astounded.

"Oui. 'Et would seem so." She replied confused.

"Well then hurry up and open the gates for us this instant." Molly snapped impatiently.

Nodding, Fleur moved forward to open the gates but the minute she touched the ironwork gates an electric shock hit her hands, propelling her back to land in a heap on the soft grass.

"Fleur are you alright?" Bill asked, worriedly. Fleur lay motionless in the grass, but groaned quietly, not responding to Bill's calls to her. Suddenly, with a quiet pop, she was gone.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"Vat happened? 'Vere am I?" Fleur thought to herself. The lights above her head made her vision swim, so she kept her eyes closed. Wincing softly, she tried to sit up but quickly gave up on that idea when she began to feel very dizzy. Just beyond the doorway, she heard voices speaking. They sounded oddly familiar but she couldn't quite place where she had heard them with her head spinning like it was.

"And you're sure she's alright?" A male voice asked just outside the room.

Sighing, another voice, this one female, replied. "Yes, Ron. I'm sure. I just checked on her. She'll be fine. She was just passed out." The voice spoke, irritably.

"Ah, 'zo I am inside 'ze house then." She thought to herself.

Walking into one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor, Ron saw Fleur passed out on the large fourposter bed. "Gods, she's freaking hot." He thought to himself. Striding across the room, Ron sat on the edge of the bed, his hands brushing softly across her legs as he examined her face, making sure she was still out.

Gently pushing her legs open he leaned down, peeking up her skirt. "Shit. No panties." He breathed softly, his hot breath ghosting across her thighs. Pushing the front of her skirt up he trailed soft kisses along her inner thighs before brushing his lips against her slit, his tongue swiping out to tease the soft pink lips.

"Merlin's Ghost. 'Vat is 'e doing? 'E is Bill's leetle brother." Fleur wondered to herself, as his lips nipped softly on her clit. Fleur suppressed a moan as his tongue swiped back and forth across her clit, his fingers teasing slow circles across her entrance.

Unable to control her body's response, Fleur found herself becoming aroused and decided to pretend to still be asleep, wondering just how far he would take things. Ron moaned in the back of his throat, his trousers tented, his bulge grinding against the edge of the mattress, as he plunged two fingers inside her.

Ron thrust his fingers in and out of her gently, searching for and finding her G-spot, he rubbed the bundle of nerves, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her. Fleur struggled to keep still, using all her self-control as he sucked and nibbled gently on her clit, his fingers making sloshing sounds as they pumped in and out of her now dripping sheath.

Overcome with lust, her pleasure peaking, Fleur gripped Ron's head with both hands, holding it tight to her cunny as she came hard, all over his face, her back arched up and off the bed, her breathing ragged, her hips bucking hard against his face, as she cried out her pleasure.

Smirking, Ron sat up on his heels on the large fourposter bed, his cheeks glistening. "I see you're awake." He smirked, palming his erection through his trousers.

"Oui. For a leetle 'vhile now.'' Fleur replied, propping herself up on her elbows on the bed, grinning at him.

Drawing his wand, Ron gave it a quick wave and all of Fleur's clothes disappeared, leaving her lying nude on the bed. Breathless, Ron let his eyes wander over her tight, fit body. Her skin was tanned all over, her body firm and lithe, her breasts a c cup, her areola a dark brown with two nipples just begging to be sucked.

Ron stood, unfastening his jeans and sliding out of them, letting them fall to the floor followed by his boxers as he stroked his five-inch cock, his eyes roving over her thighs, settling on her hairless, glistening sex. ''Do you like what you 'zee?'' Fleur asked, smirking at him.

Nodding, Ron grinned before replying. "I love it. You're absolutely stunning, Fleur. How did my brother get so lucky?" Ron said, breathlessly.

"Well, 'e is not 'zo lucky. Bill, 'e is 'adly not a man, you see." Fleur said, quietly.

Startled, Ron looked at Fleur confused. Sensing his confusion, she clarified. "E' is impotent."

Paling, Ron frowned as a laugh sounded from the doorway. Looking over his shoulder, Ron saw Ginny standing there in a sheer yellow nightie, her left hand between her legs, fingers teasing her clit. "Bill? Really? I don't believe it." Ginny said, joining them on the bed, her lips capturing Fleur's in a sensuous kiss.

Moving over her on the bed, Ron covered Fleur with his body, his tongue swiping out to lick his lips clean of her juices as he reached down, parting her slippery folds and guiding the head of his erection to her wet entrance and slowly entered her. A quiet moan escaping his lips as he buried his cock inside his brother's wife.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, Fleur moaned as she returned Ginny's kiss, her left hand settling on his shoulder, her right wrapping around Ginny's neck, pulling her closer, as he began thrusting into her slowly, his lips trailing kisses across her breasts.

TBC

In the next chapter, Fleur and Bill have a fight, Ron and Ginny officially move into the Barrows, and the death eaters launch a raid.


	5. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron, Ginny, and Fleur have a talk, followed by some unpleasant confrontations.

Previously on Machinations…

"Welcome to the Barrows, Master, and Lady." An elf said bowing.

"Look, Gin Gin. At least here we won't have to sneak around at night or in the shadows. The elves already call you my lady. Let's pretend that you are. We'll tell mum and dad where we are and that we're staying put. Aren't you sick of having to hide, Gin Gin?" Ron said, gazing into her eyes.

"Calm down, Molly. We'll find them. The clock says they're at home." Arthur stated.

"Master and lady is beings at home at the Barrows." Marshmallow stated.

"You mean they moved out?" George asked.

"Bill you're a professional ward breaker. Can't you do something to get us inside?" Molly said, wringing her hands. Activating his mage sight, he approached the gate and scanned the wards surrounding the property for several minutes before shaking his head and sighing, turning to face his parents.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we're going to have much luck. There are numerous security wards, alert wards, notice me not wards, weather altering wards, anti-portkey and apparition wards, and even some really scary war wards. It would take an army of ward breakers months to get inside." Bill stated.

"Fleur, how did you get inside?" Bill asked, dumbfounded.

"Merlin's Ghost. 'Vat is 'e doing? 'E is Bill's leetle brother." Fleur wondered to herself, as his lips nipped softly on her clit. Fleur suppressed a moan as his tongue swiped back and forth across her clit, his fingers teasing slow circles across her entrance.

"You're absolutely stunning, Fleur. How did my brother get so lucky?" Ron asked, breathlessly. "Well, 'e is not 'zo lucky. Bill, 'e is 'adly not a man, you see." Startled, Ron looked at Fleur confused. Sensing his confusion, she clarified. "E' is impotent."

And now…

Chapter 5

Ron lay in the middle of the huge fourposter bed, a grin on his face. Lying against his sides under the silk bedspread in the guest bedroom, their heads on his chest, Fleur and Ginny were dozing after a long, lazy evening in bed. His parents and brother had given up trying to get past the wards hours ago and had left, presumably to contact the DMLE. Not that he really cared right now.

Reaching down, Ron stroked Fleur's cheek, smiling as she nuzzled her face against his chest, her eyelids fluttering open as she looked up at him, yawning cutely and sitting up in bed. Fleur took a deep breath and sighed as memories of their evening of passion went running through her mind.

"Are you okay, Fleur?" Ron asked his left arm draped around a nude Ginny's shoulders as she dozed against his side, burrowing her face against him.

Shaking her head, Fleur sighed again. "I really enjoyed this, but I'm married to your brother. I can't believe I did this. What was I thinking? Bill and I have been together for over two years now."

"And how long has he been…you know?" Ron asked his fingers tracing across Ginny's bare shoulder.

"The whole time. We've never…I just thought things would change after we got married but he has no interest in me whatsoever that way. This time with you was the only time I've felt attractive to a man in a long time. When we were dating Bill was so sweet and kind and attentive, but now..." Fleur trailed off sadly.

"I'm sorry, Fleur. Have you tried talking to him about it?" Ron asked looking at her, his free hand reaching out to pat her arm reassuringly.

"I've tried numerous times. He gets so angry with me for bringing it up and then he walks away and ignores me for hours until I drop the subject. The last few days have been so hard for me." Fleur said, her eyes misting with unshed tears.

"If you're so unhappy, maybe it's a sign that things aren't meant to be between you and Bill," Ron said, holding Fleur's hand, and rubbing circles across her palm with his thumb.

Nodding, Fleur wiped her eyes dry with her free hand. "You really love her, don't you?" She asked looking at Ginny lying peacefully against Ron's chest.

"More than anything. I could never bear to lose her." Ron whispered softly, his eyes focusing on Ginny.

"You'll never lose me, Ron," Ginny said, opening her eyes, revealing she had been awake and listening to them. "But he does need a proper wife, and clearly that can't be me." Ginny sighed, sadly.

"I'll never marry if it means I have to give you up, Gin Gin," Ron whispered, kissing her softly.

"That's why you need to marry someone who is comfortable with the situation and would be okay with sharing you with another. That's not a problem for you is it, Fleur?" Ginny asked, propping herself up on her elbow and looking at Fleur.

Taken completely by surprise Ron gaped, dumbfounded, looking back and forth between the two as he tried to figure out how things had taken a turn like this. "Uh, um, err Ginny, I'm not sure that's…" Ron started, but Ginny covered his mouth with her hand and turned back to face Fleur.

"Before you answer, take some time to think it over. In the meantime, you and Ron can get to know each other better." Ginny continued, ignoring Ron completely.

"Could you ever love me, Ron?" Fleur asked, looking at them.

Pausing, Ron tried to find the right words. "Maybe, with time I could grow to love you," Ron said, uncertainly.

Fleur leaned over and kissed him. "Good answer. If you had said yes right away, I'd know you were lying and that would have been the end of it right there." Fleur said, smiling for the first time since they started talking.

"Real love takes time. It's a rare and beautiful thing. Like a garden, it needs time, patience and hard work. It has to be nurtured." She continued, looking much happier now than she had before, dropping back down to nuzzle against Ron's chest. "I suppose I need to tell Bill it's over," Fleur said softly, her head resting on Ron's hard, muscled chest.

Just then Ron's stomach let out a loud rumble. "What was that?" Fleur asked sitting up and looking around.

"I guess I'm a little hungry," Ron said quietly.

"You're always hungry, Ron." Ginny sighed sitting up in bed. Just then a tray of sandwiches and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared along with a small leather book and two envelopes.

Picking up the first envelope, Ron noticed the Gringotts crest on the cover. Opening the cover, it was a copy of his bank statement, property earnings, and investment records. His various business holdings brought in around 36,457 galleons a year. The average witch or wizards earned roughly 700 galleons a year.

"Sweet Merlin, Ronald. You make that much in a year off your investments?" Ginny breathed softly, as she and Fleur read over his shoulders.

"Most of it comes from the lands House Dumbledore leases out to muggle farmers and businesses," Ron said, shuffling through the documents.

"There is also a recommendation from Razorclaw to renew the contract with the law firm employed by House Dumbledore for generations," Ron said, opening the second, attached envelope and looking over the set of documents inside.

"Oh, which one?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Strickland and Talfoots, it says," Ron said looking up.

"Impressive," Fleur stated.

"You've heard of them?" Ron asked looking at Fleur.

"Oui. Strickland and Talfoots have been ranked among the finest and most successful law firms in Wizarding Britain. You would do 'vell to hire 'zem." Fleur said.

"According to the goblins, it will cost me nearly 2,000 galleons a year in retainer fees. Is it worth it?" Ron asked looking to Fleur.

Fleur nodded, taking a sip of pumpkin juice before replying. "Oui. Very much 'zo." She replied.

"Very well. I trust your judgment, so I'll do it." Ron said signing the renewal contract and setting it aside before picking up the leather book and flipping it open.

Blushing, Fleur kissed him before standing up and crossing the room to the private attached bath. The shower turned on and when she returned a short while later, she was wearing one of Ron's t-shirts and her panties. Crawling back into bed, she cuddled up under the blankets as Ginny headed towards the bathroom in her own room to shower and change for bed.

Ron flipped through the pages of the leather-backed book discovering it was a household ledger detailing his income and expenses. So far, his monthly household expenses were around 273 galleons and change. After paying all his expenses for the year; clothes, food, bills, salaries, etc. he would have a surplus income of around 27,000 galleons plus change. He would never have to work for a living unless he wanted too, he realized with a grin.

Finishing his snack, Ron waved his wand, banishing the crumbs as the tray, cups and empty pitcher disappeared with a pop, back to the kitchen. Ron stood up, fumbling around for his jeans and boxers. "Goodnight, Fleur," He said and headed down the hall to his rooms to shower and get ready for bed.

Stepping out of the shower, Ron dried himself off and dressed in a pair of boxers before heading out to his bedroom. Stepping into the bedroom, Ron found Ginny curled up on one side of the bed, waiting for him. Smiling, he crawled into bed beside her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her goodnight.

Ron was woken up much earlier than he would have liked the next morning by an urgent high-pitched voice calling his name. "Master, sir. You needses to be wakings up. The Ministry police bes knocking at the gate. They is wantings to speak with you." Marshmallow stated, looking up from where he stood to the side of the bed.

Groaning, Ron sat up slowly, fumbling about for his wand and casting a quick tempus charm. "5:30 am." It read. "Bloody hell. What on earth could they possibly be doing here at this hour." Ron sighed. To his right, he saw Ginny bury her face in the pillow with a loud groan.

"Go deal with it, Ron. I'll be down in a few minutes." She muttered.

Standing, Ron dressed quickly in a pair of jeans, a shirt, and formal robes before pulling on his trainers. Sticking his wand in his pocket, he strode downstairs to the entrance hall and out across the front lawn to the gate, where Madam Bones and two Aurors stood to wait. Behind her stood his irate mother and his father who was trying to calm her down. Behind them stood his eldest brother. Sighing, Ron stopped just inside the gate, looking them over.

"Good day. What can I do for you?" Ron said, looking them over with a careful eye.

"Ronald Weasley, open that gate right now," Molly said, near shouting. Ignoring her, Ron turned back to Madam Bones.

"Pardon me, my lord. But we received word that you and two witches are being held here against your will." Madam Bones stated in a polite yet businesslike tone as she inspected the area with a careful eye.

"You were misinformed. Nobody is being held hostage here. If there is nothing else, I'll wish you a pleasant day." Ron said, turning to go.

"I'm afraid, my lord, that we will need to speak with the two ladies who are here with you." Madam Bones called to him.

Turning back, Ron nodded. "Very well. As head of House Dumbledore and lord of this manor, I give Madam Bones, her two Aurors and my elder brother Bill Weasley permission to temporarily set foot on the grounds.

With that, the gates swung open and Madam Bones, her two Aurors and Bill strode onto the grounds. Molly and Arthur tried to follow but an invisible force prevented them from stepping foot onto the grounds as the gates swung shut in their faces. Turning to lead the way inside, Ron ignored his mother's shrill, shouting voice and his father calling after him.

Stepping inside the manor, Ron led the group to a downstairs parlor. "You may wait here until the ladies are awake and ready to deal with you. Would any of you care for some refreshment? Coffee, tea?" Ron asked looking at each of them in turn.

"No thank you, my lord." Madam Bones stated, standing inside the parlor, flanked by her two aurors.

"Very well," Ron said as he took a seat in a cushioned armchair, and picked up that morning's early edition of the daily prophet, reading through it as Bill paced nervously through the parlor.

"Take a seat, Bill. You're wearing grooves into the carpet." Ron sighed, glancing up over the top of his paper. Pausing in his stride, Bill sat on the edge of the sofa.

Just then, Fleur and Ginny walked into the room. Fleur was wearing her clothes from the day before and Ginny was dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and trainers. "What's going on, Ron? Why are these people here so early in the morning?" Ginny asked, stifling a yawn and looking around.

"Bill…" Fleur said, uncertainly.

"Fleur. Thank Merlin you're okay." Bill said, standing and rushing over to Fleur.

"Err, Bill. We should talk." Fleur said, gesturing to an alcove inside the entrance hall.

"Oh, um okay," Bill said, following Fleur out of the parlor.

"I take it you're Miss Ginevra Weasley?" Madam Bones asked, striding forwards.

"Yes. I am." Ginny said, looking up at her.

"Miss Weasley, I have been told that you and your brother and sister-in-law are being held here against your will. Can you clear this matter up for me? Rest assured, no harm will come to you." Madam Bones stated, reassuringly.

"That ridiculous. My brother and I live here. It's our home." Ginny said looking shocked. Nodding, Madam Bones opened her mouth to reply when they heard the sounds of raised voices in the entry hall before a loud smack was heard, followed by a cry of pain and rage.

"You filthy bitch." His brother shouted.

Racing out of the parlor, Ron went to investigate, with Madam Bones hot on his heels and her aurors keeping careful stride, their wands all were drawn. "Y…you hit me," Fleur said softly, clutching her cheek. With a roar of anger, Ron drew his wand starting forwards.

"You bastard. What did you do? Fleur are you alright?" Ron asked, reaching out a hand to her.

"Oui. I'm fine." She said to Ron before turning to face Bill. "I 'vant a divorce." She said, glaring at Bill before stalking off up the stairs.

"I want you out of my house, Bill. You're banished from these grounds." Ron said fuming angrily. As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible force blew through the room sweeping Bill off his feet and out the front doors, which opened on their own, before launching him through the air and expelling him from the grounds.

"Lord Dumbledore, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you and your sister to come with me. Your parents want you to return home to the burrow." Madam Bones stated, turning to watch Bill fly over the gate and land in a heap at the edge of the property.

"Absolutely not. Ron is of age, and I'll be seventeen in a few months, myself. Ron inherited the property legally and is entitled to reside in it. We left the Burrow and came here of our own free will, so you can't make us leave." Ginny said, looking up at Madam Bones.

"Lord Dumbledore may be of age and entitled to live here, but you are still an underage witch and subject to the whims of your parents, Miss Weasley." Madam Bones said.

"I advise you to think carefully about what you're doing, Madam Bones," Ron said stepping angrily in front of Ginny.

"I happen to be a member of the Wizengamot now, and Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Dumbledore. I can make your life a living hell." Ron continued, staring down Madam Bones.

"How on earth would I know the difference, my lord?" Madam Bones stated, calmly but with an edge to her voice now.

"If you make me leave, I'll simply have one of my brother's house-elves bring me back." Ginny threatened.

"I'm afraid I have no choice, Miss Weasley." Madam Bones stated, only to be interrupted by her Auror's badge glowing.

Tapping her badge with her wand, Madam Bones spoke. "This better be an emergency. I happen to be out on a call."

A voice sounded, emitting from her badge. "Sorry, boss. I'm afraid it's urgent. Masked Death Eaters have been spotted attacking the wards on the home of the Lovegoods in Ottery St. Catchpole."

"Damn. Alright. I'll be right there. Send all available units there now." Madam Bones said striding quickly towards the front gates. I'm afraid my lord, that I will have to continue this at a later time." She called over her shoulder.

"Ron, we have to do something. Luna is our friend. We can't let anything happen to her and her dad." Ginny pleaded, looking at him.

"But Ginny, what can we do? We're not aurors." Ron said looking at her.

"I don't know, but we have to do something. We can't just sit here and do nothing, Ron." Ginny said.

"How will we get there, Ginny? We're both unable to apparate." Ron said.

"Elves, Ron," Ginny said, smacking his arm as Jelly and Marshmallow appeared. "Can you take us to the Rookery, the Lovegood house?" Ginny asked, turning to face them.

TBC

In the next chapter, Ron and Ginny face off against death eaters, Rita Skeeter makes an appearance, and more drama unfolds in the Weasley family.

Author's note. I've always fancied the idea of a Ron/Fleur pairing and wanted to make a story about them winding up together. I've got nothing against Bill but in order to make my story happen I had to split him and Fleur up. As far as Molly is concerned, I've always found her a bit pushy and overbearing. I've got nothing against Arthur though. The original author displayed Ron as blackmailing his sister into an incestuous and abusive relationship, but I wanted to alter it over time into a more warm and affectionate relationship because I'm not all that into nonconsent scenes in stories. Yes, my stories contain lemons. Lemons make stories more fun I think, and I don't believe there is anything shameful about physical intimacy between consenting partners.

PS. The author does not encourage, support or in any way endorse certain behaviors between characters in his story.


	6. Villains and the Media

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron and Ginny rescue Luna and help her recover.

Previously on Machinations…

"You filthy bitch," Bill shouted.

"I 'vant a divorce," Fleur said clutching her bruised cheek.

"I'm afraid you have to return to your parents' house, Miss Weasley." Madam Bones said.

"Think about what you're doing. I can make your life hell." Ron said stepping in front of Ginny.

"Sorry, boss. It's urgent. Masked death eaters are attacking the wards on the Lovegood residence at Ottery St. Catchpole." The voice spoke.

"Damn. We'll continue this another time, my lord." Madam Bones said, striding toward the gates.

"We have to do something, Ron. They're our friends." Ginny said.

"How will we get there? We can't apparate." Ron asked.

"Elves, Ron," Ginny stated as Jelly and Marshmallow appeared.

Turning to face them Ginny asked, "Can you take us to the Rookery, the Lovegood residence in Ottery St. Catchpole?"

Chapter 6

With a quiet pop, Ginny and Ron landed in a small copse of trees and shrubs on the edge of the Rookery. Staying quiet and ducking low, Ron and Ginny drew their wands, casting notice me not charms on themselves.

Ron shivered at the unpleasant feeling of an egg cracking on his head that signaled the charm taking effect as he and Ginny crept through the trees towards the house. As they got closer, they saw at least four masked death eaters casting spells that seemed to bounce off of a magical barrier that shimmered with each impact.

Noticing that the barrier appeared to be weakening, small, glowing cracks appearing in it, Ron and Ginny realized they had to do something. Turning to face Ginny, Ron quietly whispered. "We need a plan, Gin. We can't just storm in there."

"I say we quickly stun them, then summon their wands and any portkeys they may have and wait for the Aurors to arrive. When they get here, they can take the death eaters into custody and we can find Luna and her dad. Hopefully, they're safe." Ginny whispered back.

Nodding, Ron and Ginny peered out from behind the bushes, each casting silent stunning charms, which they had mastered in the DA, bringing down the four death eaters before they knew what hit them. Once they were down and out, Ron and Ginny crept out of the bushes with Ron keeping a careful eye out for trouble as Ginny went around summoning their wands and relieving them of any portkeys they may have had. These she dumped in a small pile off to the side.

Just then an explosion sounded, coming from inside the Rookery, followed by a loud wail. Looking at each other, Ron gave Ginny a silent nod and quickly they raced forward, running into the house. Crouched on the floor, clinging desperately to her father's body was a sobbing Luna.

"Ron, Ginny. I knew you'd come for me." Luna said standing and running over to Ginny, hugging her friend tight before turning to Ron who was looking around for signs of trouble. "She already left, Ron. It was her, Bellatrix." Luna said quietly.

"Bellatrix Lestrange?" Ron asked looking about nervously.

"She barged in here while we were sleeping. Father felt the wards activate and rushed to see what was going on. Bellatrix wanted my father to help the dark lord locate something important, but he refused." Luna replied looking sadly down at her father.

"He told Bellatrix to take a hike?" Ron asked sounding impressed.

"Yeah. And she got really mad. She and father dueled then. Father managed to badly wound her, but he was injured as well. She fled just before you got here." Luna said, sniffling.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Luna. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now." Ginny said, hugging Luna tight. Just then shouting came from outside, and turning Ron glanced out of the shattered windows to see aurors racing around, busily apprehending the stunned death eaters.

"Who could have done this?" One Auror asked aloud.

"We did. And you're bloody freaking late. You should have been the first to arrive on the scene, not us. This kind of incompetence is unacceptable." Ron said, angrily as he stepped out of the house, approaching the aurors.

"Lord Dumbledore. Did you apprehend four death eaters on your own?" Madam Bones asked walking up to him.

"There were five of them. One inside and four outside. My sister and I arrived on the scene a few minutes ago and found four death eaters attempting to bring down the wards. They had almost succeeded too when we stunned them. Sadly, they weakened the wards enough for their leader, Bellatrix Lestrange, to escape.

"Ron and I stunned them and relieved them of their wands and any portkeys they had on them. We came here to save our friends, but we weren't entirely successful. Luna's father is dead." Ginny said, walking out of the badly damaged house, supporting Luna on her arm.

"My father dueled Bellatrix Lestrange and badly injured her but died in the process. She fled before they got here." Luna said, gesturing towards Ron and Ginny.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Miss Lovegood. But I'm afraid we need to ask you a few questions if you're feeling up to it." Madam Bones said in a gentle voice.

"I'm well enough to answer a few questions," Luna said following Madam Bones a short distance away. Meanwhile, aurors were unmasking the death eaters and fastening magic suppression cuffs to their wrists. "Merlin's beard. It's the Carrows." One Auror said looking at Ron and Ginny in amazement.

"Any idea who the other two are?" A second Auror asked.

"No idea. Most likely just raw recruits. They don't look very old. Probably still in Hogwarts." The first Auror said.

"Bloody hell. It's Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy's flunkies." Ron breathed, walking closer to them.

"You know these two, my lord?" The first Auror asked, turning to face him.

"Yeah, we go to Hogwarts with them. They're in the same year as my brother." Ginny said, walking up to stand next to her brother.

"Merlin only knows how they managed that though. They've not a brain between them." Ron muttered.

Striding over a few minutes later, Madam Bones glanced at the stunned Carrows, an eyebrow-raising before turning to face Ron and Ginny. "Lord Dumbledore, Luna tells me you came to her rescue. That the death eaters were close to bringing down the wards, but you stopped them." She stated.

"Yes. That's correct, Ma'am." Ron said.

"Well done but in the future, I'll thank you leave things to the DMLE. We've been specially trained to handle these situations." She stated, albeit not unkindly.

Ron glanced around at the damaged house, before turning back to Madam Bones. "I'll keep that in mind for the future, ma'am. Where is Luna?" He asked, looking around for her.

"Ah yes. That's the other matter I wished to discuss with you." Madam Bones stated, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Currently Miss Lovegood is being checked over by a healer. However, because she is a minor and without any living relatives she will be made a ward of the Ministry. Normally, since her majority is only a few months away, she would be permitted to remain in her home with a social worker checking in on her. However, since her residence has been destroyed she cannot remain here. She has however requested to stay with you until the next Hogwarts term starts. Is that acceptable to you?" Madam Bones asked looking at the pair of them.

Ron shared a glance with Ginny who nodded. "That would be fine. We'd be glad to have her stay with us. She needs friends to support her in her hour of need." Ginny said, brightening.

"Excellent. She assured us that you would be fine with that arrangement, but I wanted to check with you anyway." Madam Bones supplied.

"As head of House Dumbledore, I'd be honored to take her on as my ward," Ron said.

"Excellent. I'll let her know." Madam Bones said turning to walk away.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Returning to the Barrows later that morning, Ron walked into the office and took out the ward book, adding Luna's name to the list of people allowed onto the grounds, before placing the book back inside and closing the panel again. About twenty minutes later, a pop sounded, and Jelly appeared.

"We has moved all of Miss Luna's thingsies that we could salvage, and is putting them in one of the guest roomses." The little elf said, bowing.

"Thank you, Jelly. Is Luna here yet?" Ron asked, looking up from the desk.

"She beings in her room now." The little elf said bowing its head before vanishing with another pop.

Remembering his talk with Ginny when they first returned to the manor, Ron shook his head and sighed. Standing, Ron left the office and headed upstairs. Knocking on Luna's door, he waited. "Come in, Ron," Luna called from inside. Confused and curious as to how she knew it was him, Ron opened the door and stepped inside the room.

Sitting on the bed, Luna held a badly charred photograph in her hands. Looking up, she smiled. "Thanks for letting me stay here, Ron. I appreciate it." Ron nodded and looked around the room where her remaining possessions sat, unsorted.

Not much had survived the explosion at the Rookery it seemed. "I came to see how you were settling in and whether you needed anything," Ron said, uncertain how to broach the topic on his mind with Luna since he didn't have much history with her.

"I'm doing fine, Ron. Thank you. And you don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone about you and Ginny." Luna stated, setting the photograph on the nightstand and looking up at him.

"H... how did you know about…?" Ron started only to trail off and shake his head. Luna was a mystery unto herself. There was so much about her that he would never fully understand, he decided.

"I know you lost a lot of your possessions in the explosion so if there is anything you need or want, let me know. We can take a trip to Diagon Alley when you're feeling up to it." Ron said quietly.

"Thank you. There are a few things I need." Luna said quietly.

"Very well. We'll all go out to Diagon Alley later today after you have had a chance to settle in properly." Ron said, before excusing himself and leaving the room. Walking down the hall Ron paused outside the upstairs parlor, spotting Fleur inside making a floo call.

Continuing on his way, Ron headed downstairs towards the informal dining room for morning tea. He had missed breakfast and was starving. Walking into the dining room, Ron took a seat at the table. As soon as he sat down, a plate of eggs, toast, and kippers appeared along with a steaming cup of tea.

Normally, Ron wasn't very thoughtful or considerate of others, but Ginny had been harping on him lately about his boorish behavior and wanting to keep her happy he was slowly trying to change. Before indulging his appetite, Ron looked around. The dining hall was empty save for him.

"Taffy." He called.

A pop sounded, and Taffy appeared. "Yes, master?" The elf said, bowing.

"Would you let the girls know that morning tea is ready. I'm sure they're hungry by now. We missed breakfast after all." Ron said.

"Of course, master." With another pop, the elf was gone. Taking a sip of his tea, Ron waited, somewhat impatiently to see whether the girls would join him. A few minutes later, Ginny and Fleur walked into the dining room, taking seats to the left and right of Ron before helping themselves to a late breakfast.

"Finally." Ron thought to himself, digging into his breakfast. "Did you two really fight death eaters this morning?" Fleur asked, looking at them each in turn. Swallowing the mouthful of food, he was chewing, Ron nodded before replying.

"They launched a sneak attack on Luna and her father's home. Sadly, Luna's father didn't survive. She needs a place to stay and friends to look after her, so we agreed to let her stay here. I hope that's not a problem." Ron said, looking to Fleur to make sure she wasn't put out by the new house guest.

"Of course. Eet is 'vine with me. I met 'er a few years ago at Hogwarts, I think. She is a nice girl." Fleur stated, before taking a sip of her tea.

"Good. I didn't want you to be upset since we didn't tell you before inviting her." Ron said.

"Eet is your 'ouse." Fleur said.

"Yes, but your feelings matter too," Ron said, pouring himself a second cup of tea. "Thank you for thinking of me," Fleur said smiling.

"Speaking of which, how are you dealing with everything?" Ginny asked giving Ron a nod of approval before finishing her breakfast and pushing her plate away, which instantly vanished.

"Vell enough. My familie 'as been very supportive. But your mother 'ad some very 'arsh things to say." Fleur said.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I know mum means well but she can be a little overwhelming at times." Ginny said softly.

"Ginny and I will always be in your corner though if you ever need anything," Ron said, looking up from his plate when Ginny kicked his foot under the table.

"Thank you both. Your support means a lot to me." Fleur said softly, smiling at each of them in turn.

"It's our pleasure," Ginny replied, with Ron nodding his agreement.

"Oh, by the way, Ginny and I are taking Luna shopping in Diagon Alley this afternoon to replace some of her lost possessions, if you'd like to join us," Ron stated, finishing his breakfast.

"Oui. 'Zat would be wonderful. I'll go get ready 'zen." Fleur said, excusing herself from the table as Ginny did the same.

"Oh, and Ron, try to put on something nice for a change," Ginny called over her shoulder as she left the dining hall.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"I can't believe that little French tart. Asking you for a divorce right after we went to all the trouble of throwing a lovely wedding here at the house." Molly said angrily.

"Why did she ask for a divorce anyway? I thought you two were happy together." Arthur asked, looking at Bill.

"I have no idea." Bill lied looking down at the table in the Weasley family kitchen.

"Well, you're better off without that little hussy," Molly said fussing over her son.

"Where is she anyway? Back at the cottage?" Arthur asked curiously.

"I don't know. She said she was going to stay with some friends until she found a place." Bill said shaking his head.

"Well, there's no way she's getting her hands on that house if you two get a divorce. You are going to find yourself an excellent barrister to represent your interests. I've been doing some research and have found several good wizarding law firms to look into." Molly said placing a piece of parchment in front of Bill.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Around noon Ron, Ginny, Fleur, and Luna headed through the common room in the Leaky Cauldron making their way to Diagon Alley which was bustling with activity. Their first stop was Gringotts, where they waited in line until the goblin teller at the counter looked up.

"Yes. What can I do for you today?" The goblin asked in a clipped tone.

"I need to replace a lost vault key," Luna said, stepping forward.

"Name, please." The goblin asked.

"Luna Lovegood." She replied.

"Very well. Please prick your finger with this knife and let the blood drip onto this parchment to verify your identity." The goblin said placing a parchment and a small, sharp knife on the counter.

Nodding, Luna pricked her finger and a drop of blood fell onto the parchment, her name appearing a few seconds later. Taking the knife the goblin dropped it into a sterilizing potion and turned back to her, handing over a replacement key.

"The new key will cost you 10 sickles. Anything else?" The goblin asked.

"Yes. I need to visit my vault to make a withdraw." Luna stated politely.

"Very well. The goblin teller said motioning to another goblin who stepped forward and led them through the lobby towards the vaults.

About half an hour later, they emerged from Gringotts, their money pouches heavy with gold, and headed off in the direction of the nearest shop.

As they made their way through the alley making purchases a voice called out to them. Turning, Ron saw one of the last people in the world he wanted to see. "Lord Dumbledore, what a pleasure. Would you be willing to answer a few quick questions for the Daily Prophet?" Rita Skeeter called, walking up and clutching a Quick Quotes Quill and a sheaf of parchment in her hands.

"Well actually…" Ron started before Rita cut him off.

"Excellent. Now all our readers want to know, what's it like being the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House even though you were not related to its previous lord? And how do you explain your meteoric rise?" Rita asked.

"Well, you see…" Ron started as the quill scratched away.

"And is it true that you have moved into the Barrows estate permanently? Can you tell us about what led you to leave home and make your way in the world before you've finished Hogwarts?" Rita continued.

"I'm not sure…" Ron tried again to answer before being cut off.

"For all our female readers out there, can you tell us. Is there a witch in your life right now?" Rita asked, looking to the girls with him before looking at Ron again.

"Actually yes," Ron said.

"Oh really? May I ask who the lucky witch is?" Rita asked.

"I'd rather not say," Ron stated firmly.

"Ah, a mystery girl. Curious." Rita said, again looking at the girls who stood behind him, looking anxiously back at her.

"And one more question. Is it true that you battled against death eaters just this morning to rescue a friend in need?" Rita asked, looking eagerly at Ron.

"Err, yes it's true that my sister and I battled death eaters, but how do you know about…" Ron started before being cut off.

"Thank you, Lord Dumbledore. That's all I needed." Rita said, packing her quill and parchment into her handbag before walking away.

Shaking his head, Ron and the girls set off again, walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron, where they took the floo to the manor. When they arrived home again, Ron excused himself, going upstairs to take a short nap while Fleur and Ginny helped Luna pack her new belongings away in her room.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Later that evening, Ron woke up to a pleasant surprise. His blanket had been pulled back and his boxers had been stripped down and off. Straddling his hips, her eyes shut, face a mask of pleasure, Ginny bounced up and down on his hard cock, her hands kneading her breasts, pinching her stiff nipples as she moaned.

An hour later Ron and Ginny were curled up under the blankets in Ron's four-poster, naked in each other's arms. Smiling softly, Ginny nuzzled her cheek against Ron's muscled chest, her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep. A few minutes later, Ron joined her in slumber.

TBC


	7. Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on as simply as it can at the Barrows estate.

Previously on Machinations…

"Ron, Ginny. I knew you'd come for me." Luna said, looking up at them from where she knelt, clutching her father's body.

"What happened, Luna?" Ginny asked, looking at the badly damaged house.

"It was Bellatrix Lestrange. She and father dueled. He badly injured her but was hurt in the process." Luna said sniffling.

"I can't believe the nerve of that little French tart," Molly said.

"I hope you don't mind but we invited Luna to stay with us," Ron said, looking at Fleur.

"Thank you, Lord Dumbledore. That's all I needed." Rita Skeeter said, stowing her quick quotes quill and parchment in her handbag before walking away.

Chapter 7

Waking up the next morning, Ron sat up and stretched before reaching for his wand on the nightstand next to the bed. Casting a quick tempus charm, Ron groaned. Six-thirty in the morning was way too early to get up in his opinion. Beside him, Ginny lay slumbering peacefully against the pillow.

Smiling, Ron watched her sleep for a few minutes. "She's so beautiful when she's asleep." He thought to himself. Reaching out, he brushed a stray lock of red hair from her face, before leaning down to softly kiss her cheek.

A quiet knock sounded on the door. Ron climbed out of bed and sighed, fumbling for his boxers and shirt, quickly pulling them on before walking to the door, opening it to see who was there. "Oh, hi Luna. What can I do for you?" Ron asked, standing in the doorway.

Luna stood in the doorway dressed in a tank top and shorts, her hair flowing freely about her shoulders. "I was wondering if Ginny was awake yet. I wanted to ask if she would go flying with me before breakfast." Luna said, smiling brightly.

Stepping aside, Ron turned back to the bed where Ginny was sitting up, blearily rubbing her eyes. "Who's at the door, Ron?" She mumbled groggily. Looking back at her, Ron was about to answer when Luna spoke up.

"It's just me. I wanted to see if you were interested in a quick fly before breakfast." Luna said, cheerfully.

"Sure thing, Luna. Just give me thirty minutes to shower and dress." Ginny sighed, looking at Luna in the doorway.

"Okay, see you downstairs." Luna chirped, turning to leave when she glanced back over her shoulder. "Nice boxers, Ron." She said, before continuing on her way.

Thirty minutes later, Ginny emerged from the shower dressed in a t-shirt and tight-fitting shorts and headed downstairs leaving Ron alone in the bedroom. Sighing, Ron decided he wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, so instead settled on a quick shower himself and an early breakfast.

Walking down the hall towards the flight of stairs, Ron heard what sounded like crying coming from Fleur's bedroom. Knocking on the door, he waited for an answer before peering inside. Fleur was curled up in the middle of her bed, crying softly into the pillow.

Feeling awkward and unsure of what he should do, Ron let himself into the room and walked slowly over to the bed, sitting down on the mattress and reaching out for her. "Fleur is everything alright?" Ron asked.

"Oui. I…I'm fine." Fleur said unconvincingly sitting up and looking at Ron, tears in her eyes.

"Are you sure? You can talk to me about anything." Ron said.

"Vell, it is just everything that 'as 'appened 'ze last few days," Fleur said, drying her eyes before continuing. "The rocky marriage, the harsh words from your mom, and my fight with Bill. He 'it me when I told him I needed time to think about us being a 'ouple anymore." Fleur said, tearing up again.

Wrapping his arms around her and hugging her to his chest Ron held her as she cried. "Has he done that before?" Ron asked, dreading the answer.

"No. I 'vould never 'ave married 'im if 'e had hit me." Fleur said quietly, burrowing her face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Fleur," Ron said. Inside he was angry at his brother. He had liked Fleur since his fourth year and the idea of someone intentionally harming her filled him with rage. Doing his best to comfort her, Ron wrestled with an inner turmoil of his own. She was his brother's wife, soon to be ex-wife, but he found himself drawn to her when he should be inclined to support his brother.

Looking down into her face, resting against his shoulder, Ron felt overcome with the desire to kiss her. His lips inching closer to her, he softly claimed her lips with his own, his fingers tangling in her hair. Slowly, Fleur returned his kiss, her eyes closed as she embraced him, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders.

After about a minute, Ron pulled back, face flushed, his hands fumbling at his sides, searching for something to say, as a breathless Fleur looked back at him. "I…um, well I'm sorry, Fleur. I didn't come in here with the intention of starting something. I just, that is I couldn't help myself. I really wanted to kiss you and part of my brain said, go for it." Ron said, hoping she wasn't mad at him.

"Eet is okay, Ron," Fleur said, sitting beside him on the bed. "I feel something for you too. Eet is why I kissed you back." She continued softly.

Brightening, Ron suddenly got an idea. "Ginny and Luna are going for a fly. What do you say to you and I have a breakfast picnic in the gardens? Just the two of us." Ron asked.

"Oui. I'd like 'zat very much." Fleur replied, cheering up.

"Excellent. It's a date then." Ron said standing and pausing as what he had just said dawned on him.

Turning back, he saw Fleur smiling as she stood up waiting for him to leave so she could get ready.

"I'll just go downstairs then," Ron mumbled awkwardly, heading for the door and making his way down the hall towards the stairwell. As he made his way down the steps, he let out a silent whoop of delight. "Yes! A date with Fleur." He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Fleur was going through the clothes she had the elves bring over from Shell Cottage, trying to decide what to wear. Finally settling on a knee-length skirt and white cotton blouse, with a pair of black heels, she quickly dressed before sitting in front of the vanity mirror to do her makeup.

After what seemed like an eternity to Ron, Fleur came down the stairs. Mouth agape, Ron could only stare as she walked up to him. "Wow." He managed to say as she stopped in front of him.

"Do you like it? I wasn't sure what to wear." Fleur said, looking at him.

"It's …wow. Err, I mean you look great." Ron said, holding the picnic basket in one hand and offering his free arm to her. "Shall we get going?" He asked, finally managing to gather his wits.

"Sure," Fleur said, taking his arm and following him outside and down the path that led to the gardens.

Finding a spot among some rose bushes, Ron spread out the picnic blanket and waited until Fleur was seated comfortably before sitting down himself and taking out the food.

They spent the next hour eating and talking, getting to know one another better. As it turned out they had a lot in common. They both enjoyed Quidditch. Fleur had played back in France at Beauxbatons Academy and at her home. And they both also enjoyed playing chess, though Fleur admitted she wasn't very good. Her little sister Gabrielle was the chess master in the family. They talked about their childhoods and what it was like growing up in their respective countries before finally deciding to head back to the manor.

Walking inside, Ron was just about to stow away the picnic basket in the kitchen when Ginny came bursting into the room with Luna following behind her. In her hand, Ginny held a copy of the daily prophet. "There you are, Ron. You made the front page of the morning prophet." Ginny said, holding it out for him.

"DUMBLEDORE'S HEIR, DUMBLEDORE 2.0"

"We here at the daily prophet received word that dark lord's minions, the death eaters openly and in force attacked the residence of the Lovegood family in Ottery St. Catchpole. The first on the scene was not, in fact, aurors as one would expect but instead, Dumbledore's heir, Lord Ronald Weasley Dumbledore who almost single-handedly defeated the dark lord's servants before the Department of Magical Law enforcement officials arrived on scene to take the vanquished death eaters into custody.

What does this say about our police force? This reporter has her doubts. Spokespeople for the DMLE declined to comment about this failure. In any case, one can't help but wonder whether Dumbledore had a plan in mind when choosing his heir. Is young Weasley Dumbledore the next leader of the light?

We met up with him during an outing in Diagon Alley. Accompanying him were his sister, his sister in law and former Triwizard competitor Fleur Delacour, from Beauxbatons Academy in France and young Miss Lovegood whom they rescued from the rubble of her former home.

When questioned about whether he was romantically involved with anyone, Mr. Weasley Dumbledore confirmed he was involved with someone but declined to name that person. This reporter promises to find out more for you, our loyal readers.

This report brought to you by Rita Skeeter."

"What the hell? She didn't even mention your name." Ron said, looking at Ginny.

"What are we going to do about this Ron?" We can't have that horrid woman snooping around the manor." Ginny stated, worried and angry.

"Don't worry, Gin Gin. One of the wards on the property prevents people in animagus forms from sneaking onto the grounds. She'll never make it past the wards." Ron said, trying to reassure her.

"I suppose so, but I still don't like it. It's like being back at the Burrow. No privacy whatsoever." Ginny said, angrily stomping her foot.

"I'll owl Hermione. Maybe she can do something about Skeeter." Ron said, hopefully.

"I hope so. That bitch is nothing but trouble. We should just be grateful that this article wasn't anything awful like her usual garbage." Ginny said, angrily.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Later that night, under cover of darkness, they crept silently down the row of houses until they stopped outside one just in the middle. "Are you sure this is where she lives?" He asked, uncertainly.

"Of course. According to the records at the Ministry, this is her house." A second voice said.

They waited until a short time after the lights went out before temporarily disabling the wards and creeping inside the darkened interior of the house. Creeping from room to room they found her asleep in the upstairs bedroom.

Casting silencing charms and anti-apparition and portkey wards of their own, one figure stepped forward while the other two removed her wand from the bedside table and trained their wands on her.

"Hello, Umbitch. You have something we want." Harry snarled, waking the small figure up with a well-cast stinging hex.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Racing through the air on his clean sweep, Ron was just able to block the quaffle from sailing through the hoop on the far right. Wiping the sweat off his brow, Ron returned to his spot in front of the center hoop. Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, Luna sat on her broom in front of the opposite goal posts, staring dreamily into space.

Ginny and Fleur were both playing chaser, competing against each other. Ginny wanted to practice her chaser skills on her new broom, and they had agreed to help her out. Ducking down, Ginny narrowly avoided a bludger sent her way by Fred.

Meanwhile, George managed to intercept the ball and keep it from barreling back around towards Fleur who was just a few yards behind Ginny on her own firebolt. Fleur had her stuff brought over the previous evening from Shell Cottage and had officially moved into the Barrows.

After two hours of zooming through the air, they called it quits. Ginny had managed to beat Fleur 80-70. A narrow victory. They were clearly both very talented players as their performance demonstrated.

Heading back inside, they went upstairs to stow away their brooms before joining Fred and George in the downstairs parlor. "So, on a scale of one to ten, how pissed are mom and dad right now?" Ginny asked, flopping down onto the sofa.

"Well they're far from pleased about you moving out and letting Fleur stay with you, but dad was a bit proud of you for helping to capture four death eaters, although mum gave him a right ear full when she heard him mention it," Fred stated.

"She's afraid you're going to get yourselves killed sooner or later," George added.

"Still, we're pretty impressed. Way to go. Ronniekins is all grown up and fighting death eaters." Fred said, pulling Ron into a headlock.

Struggling to break free, Ron shot Fred a glare, before sighing. "Any news from Harry and the order?" He asked, looking at the twins.

"Not yet. Whatever their working on has them all pretty busy. Kingsley was at the shop yesterday, but he only stayed for a few minutes." George replied.

"Really? What did he want there?" Ginny asked, sitting up and looking at them eagerly.

"He bought a few things, mostly Peruvian instant darkness powder and some temporary glamour items," Fred said.

"Why did he buy those?" Ron asked, curiously.

"He didn't say. He just paid and left." Fred said.

"So how is business going?" Ginny asked.

"Pretty well so far. We have some promising new inventions planned, and our contracts with the Ministry are helping us to expand our operation by opening a shop in France." George said.

"Zat is very impressive," Fleur said, walking into the room and sitting down beside Ginny on the sofa.

"Where's Luna? Wasn't she with you?" Ginny asked, looking at Fleur.

"She's still upstairs in her room. She said she wanted to be alone for a while." Fleur said.

"I'll go upstairs and check on her in a few minutes then," Ginny said, quietly.

A quiet pop sounded, and Twizzlers appeared. "Lunch is ready, master." She said, before disappearing with another soft pop.

"Finally. I'm starved. Will you be staying for lunch?" Ron asked, looking at the twins.

"Nah, Fred and I have to get back to the shop. We have a meeting with a Ministry representative about some of their standing orders." George said as Fred followed him to the floo at the end of the parlor. Saying their goodbyes, the twins departed, leaving Ron, Ginny, and Fleur alone in the parlor.

"I'm going to go check on Luna. I hope she's alright. I know things are hard for her right now." Ginny said.

"Do you want us to come with you, Gin?" Ron asked.

"Nah, it's fine. I'll be down for lunch in a bit." Ginny replied, leaving the parlor and heading for the stairs.

Nodding, Ron held out a hand to Fleur. "Will you join me for lunch then?" Ron asked, smiling as she nodded and stood, taking his hand.

TBC

Author's note. In the next chapter, we'll see a bit of a time skip.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ginny returned to the manor and stowed her broom in her room before heading back downstairs to the parlor. Walking into the room, she saw Ron sitting in a stuffed armchair, reading that mornings edition of the daily prophet. Recognizing the look on his face, she knew it couldn't be anything good.

"I can't wait until Hermione gets here," Ron muttered, fuming as he tossed the newspaper aside and stood up, pacing back and forth across the parlor.

"Now Ron calm down. It can't be that bad." Ginny said, placing a hand on his arm.

"That stinking Skeeter woman. She has been a real pain in the ass ever since I turned down her request for a proper interview here at the manor." Ron muttered darkly, stopping to look at her.

"What is it this time?" Ginny asked.

"More stories about a love triangle between me, Fleur and Luna," Ron said, stomping his foot.

"You can't let her get to you," Ginny said softly.

"I know, but it's getting to be too much. She's spreading rumors that I'm juggling the two of them and that they are both pregnant with my children now." Ron said.

"You know it's not true and I know its not true. We'll see it done away with. Now did you look into the defamation lawyer the firm recommend?" Ginny asked.

"I did. I hired her yesterday and she has promised to take Rita down, but it doesn't change the fact that people have already read this trash and believe it." Ron said, shaking his head.

"Your friends will stick by you no matter what, Ron. All the people who really count will take your side." Ginny replied, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, I guess." Ron sighed, shaking his head. Just then the floo burst to life and Hermione stepped out slowly, dragging her trunk along behind her.

"Hey, Hermione. You're finally here." Ron grinned. "Hi, Ron, Ginny. How are you two? I had such a good time on holiday with my family. I can't wait to tell you all about it." Hermione gushed, pulling them both into one of her usual hugs.

"We're glad to see you too. And we can't wait to hear about your trip, but there is a small problem we were hoping you could help us with." Ginny stated, looking between Ron and Hermione.

Clearing his throat, Ron held out the newspaper with the article in it. "Skeeter is back to her old tricks again."

Taking the newspaper, Hermione sat down in a chair and began reading, her lips pursing as she read. Clearly upset, Hermione finished the article and tossed the paper aside. "Is there any truth to these rumors?" Hermione asked, looking them both over.

"Absolutely not. It's all lies. Err I mean, that is to say, I did sleep with Fleur, once, but she's not pregnant and I've never touched Luna." Ron stated, angrily.

"I see. Well, calm down, Ron. I've warned Skeeter about her articles. I'll carry through on my threat and report her to the DMLE." Hermione stated firmly.

"Are you sure it will work? What if nothing comes of it?" Ginny asked.

"Rita Skeeter has made a career out of denigrating public figures at the Ministry. There is no shortage of people who want her gone. And being an unlicensed animagi is still a crime, especially in the current climate." Hermione replied, confidently.

"Hopefully they'll throw her in Azkaban and get her out of our hair," Ron muttered darkly.

"How are Luna and Fleur doing? I got your letters. I'm sorry to hear they're getting divorced but its probably for the best since the two of you…" Hermione trailed off, looking away.

"Fleur is doing much better these days. She seems a lot happier. She and Ron are sort of dating now, and she has accepted a teaching post at Hogwarts this year. The DADA teacher. Hopefully, she'll last longer in the position than the others. She's a bit young of course but she has been studying her defense mastery, is an active member of the order, she was a Triwizard competitor, not to mention she got outstanding in defense in her NEWTS. And Luna is getting better. She had some trouble dealing with the death of her father, but we've been supporting her through everything. And even Ron has been surprisingly attentive to her." Ginny said, smiling in his direction.

"Oh, and did you hear? Bellatrix Lestrange's body was found in the woods near Ottery St. Catchpole. Luna's father gravely injured her, and she died trying to escape. She tried to apparate out of their house but didn't get too far because of the wards. She succumbed to her injuries." Ron said, grinning.

"Really? That's amazing. It serves that horrid woman right." Hermione said, smirking.

"Tell me about it. They awarded Luna's dad the Order of Merlin, third class, posthumously. There was even a ten thousand galleon bounty on her head, that the Ministry awarded to Luna in place of her father." Ginny said.

"How wonderful. That should see Luna provided for the next few years and possibly even an apprenticeship if she wishes." Hermione said, smiling.

"You should go say hello to her when you get the chance. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. You can tell us all about your trip over dinner tonight. Meanwhile, I will give you a tour of the manor, and you can choose a bedroom upstairs." Ginny said.

"That sounds wonderful. So how are you and Ron getting along these days?" Hermione asked, as Ginny helped her with her trunk and lead her out of the parlor.

"Oh, quite well. He can still be a bit boorish at times but he's getting better about it. I do love him. What about you? Meet anyone special in France?" Ginny asked.

Sitting alone in the parlor, Ron sighed and ran his hands through his hair. A nervous habit he had developed over the last two weeks. There had been more raids by death eaters on the homes of prominent members of the Ministry and numerous terror attacks on muggle neighborhoods featured in the prophet since the public announcement of Bellatrix's death. It seemed the dark lord was seeking revenge for the loss of his top lieutenant.

Ron couldn't help wondering how Harry and the Order were doing and even worrying occasionally about his parents back at the Burrow. He had tried once to floo call them but had received a less than warm reception from his infuriated mother who called him all manner of things, up to and including a traitor to the family. Since then he had not spoken to his parents.

Fred and George often stopped by to visit and play Quidditch, and they got the occasional letter from Charlie at his dragon reservation, but most of the time it was just he, Ginny, Luna, and Fleur. Now that Hermione was back things were finally looking up again, Ron inwardly thought.

Walking out of the parlor, Ron headed upstairs to seek out Ginny and Hermione. He found them in one of the guest rooms, chatting quietly about something with Luna and Fleur. Pausing outside the door, Ron pondered whether he should interrupt when Hermione looked up and saw him.

"Hi, Ron. Come on in. We were just catching up." She said, scooting over and making room for him to sit down on the large bed as the others looked awkwardly at the floor.

Walking inside, Ron hesitantly took a seat beside Hermione. "So how are things?" Ron asked.

"Well as I was saying, my parents and I stayed in La Rochelle. We toured many of the sights in Muggle France and even went shopping in the "La Grand Voie" where I met up with the Delacours and introduced them to my parents." Hermione said.

"La Grand Voie? What's that?" Ron asked, curiously.

"It's the French equivalent of Diagon Alley, Ron," Fleur said, speaking up.

"Oh, okay," Ron said quietly.

"Anyway, we met up with Fleur's family, and Gabrielle and I spent some time together talking and getting to know each other during my stay in France and we became rather close," Hermione said, looking hesitantly at everyone, especially Fleur.

"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you, Hermione." Ginny said, hugging her.

"Um yeah, that is really great Hermione. I'm happy for you too." Ron said, feeling a bit awkward. He still hadn't quite gotten over the feelings he had harbored for Hermione for so long and the fact that he was left in the dark while everyone else knew the truth about her fondness for witches.

"Oui. That is wonderful for you both." Fleur said, smiling.

They talked for an hour or so, before leaving so that Hermione could unpack her things and settle in as Luna and Fleur wandered off downstairs, leaving Ginny and Ron alone in the hallway outside Hermione's room.

"Isn't that wonderful, Ron? Hermione met someone. I'm so happy for her. Aren't you?" Ginny asked, looking at him.

"Of course, I am Gin Gin. I'm still just a little upset that you didn't tell me about her sooner. You let me pine away for her like a lovesick puppy for years." Ron muttered, stalking slowly towards Ginny, his hands reaching out, pushing her against the wall in the hallway, his lips descending on hers, kissing her deeply, he ignored her feeble protests, his hands roaming across her torso, cupping her breasts before breaking away, breathless and pushing her towards his bedroom door a few feet down the hallway.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

That evening at dinner, Ron sat at the head of the table picking at his food as the girls talked, occasionally looking at him to add to their conversation. He didn't feel much like eating. His appetite had diminished over the last few days with the articles in the paper about the war and his relationship with Fleur.

Suddenly, Ron felt a slight shift in the wards and a breathless Fred and George apparated into the dining room. Fred was supporting George who was clutching desperately at the side of his head, which was bleeding profusely and groaning in pain.

Jumping up, Ron rushed over as the girls gathered around, worriedly. "Bloody hell. What happened to you, George?" Ron asked, shocked as he and Fred helped George to sit down.

"Attacked. Death Eaters. Shop destroyed." Fred supplied breathlessly, panicking over his twin.

"Merlin's beard. We have to get him to Saint Mungo's." Ginny said, fussing about them, reminding them all of Mrs. Weasley.

"He's right. George needs help now." Hermione said, rushing to pick up an empty plate. Pointing her wand at it she muttered, "Portus" and quickly urged them to take hold of it. A few seconds later, Ron felt a jerk behind his navel and the dining hall disappeared to be replaced by the entrance hall of Saint Mungo's hospital.

Rushing quickly towards the counter, Ron cleared his throat to get the attention of the receptionist. "Yes, what can I do for you?" She asked, looking up from her magazine.

"My brother was badly injured in an attack by death eaters. He needs help." Ron said, breathlessly.

"Sign these forms here. I'll have an orderly escort him to the emergency spell damage ward immediately." The witch said, pushing a rune on a small panel on the desk in front of her. A few seconds later a young wizard in healers robes appeared, pushing a wheelchair. Helping George into the chair, the orderly immediately led them off to the spell damage ward on the third floor, leaving Ron alone to fill out the parchment work.

When he was finished, Ron handed the parchment and quill back to the receptionist and started off in search of his brother on the third floor. Stumbling out of the lifts, Ron raced to the healer's station. "Excuse me. I am looking for my brother George Weasley. He was brought in a few minutes ago." Ron said.

"Certainly and your name is?" the healer asked.

"Ron Weasley Dumbledore." He replied quickly.

"Ah, Mr. Dumbledore. Of course. This way, please. You should know that due to the cause of your brother's injury, we have alerted the DMLE. " the healer stated, leading the way to the room where his brother was being treated.

"Yes, I understand. When they get here please send them in immediately. I want to catch the bastards who did this." Ron said, angrily.

Entering the room, Ron saw the healer fussing over George, casting spell after spell before finally shaking his head. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Weasley, but I'm afraid I cannot reattach your ear. It was cursed off by dark magic and I am unable to undo the damage. I have been able to stop the bleeding and heal it to a degree however you will bear a scar and suffer partial hearing loss." The healer stated when he finally stepped back.

His shoulders slumped, George leaned into his twin for support, nodding his head in acceptance. "It's fine. You did your best." He said, quietly into Fred's shoulder. Excusing himself, the healer turned to leave the room when a pair of aurors appeared, striding into the room led by the healer from the station.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley. I'm Auror Berk and this is my partner, Auror Wilkinson. We're here to investigate the attack on your residence earlier this evening. Now can you tell us? Did you recognize any of your attackers?" Auror Berk asked.

"No. They were all wearing death eater robes and masks." Fred replied, comforting his twin.

"I see. Do you know of any reason in particular why they would target you?" Auror Wilkinson asked after exchanging a look with his partner.

"Well it's no secret that we oppose the dark lord's agendas but the business we own does have a number of defense contracts with the Ministry," Fred said.

Exchanging another brief look, the aurors turned back to face them again. "I see. Can you tell us in your own words, exactly what happened?" Auror Berk asked, pulling out a roll of parchment and a dicta quill.

"Well, the day started out like any other. Routine business day, nothing unusual, we were just closing up shop this evening, when we heard several loud pops outside the shop, and then a large group of death eaters appeared. They cast spells at the front of the shop and the wall exploded. We ducked for cover but not before a spell hit me on the side of the head. I collapsed in pain and my brother grabbed me and side-along apparated us to our younger brother's house." George stated.

"Your younger brother?" Auror Berk asked.

"Um, he means me," Ron said, speaking up for the first time.

"Of course, and your name is, sir?" Auror Wilkinson asked.

"Ronald Weasley Dumbledore," Ron replied.

"Ah yes. From the prophet." Auror Berk said, smirking and glancing over at the girls.

Scowling, Ron clenched his fists and nodded. "Yes. That's me." He sighed.

"Did you recognize any of the voices of your attackers?" Auror Wilkinson asked, looking at Fred and George again.

"No, sorry. We were focused on getting out of there alive." George replied.

Just then the door to the room burst open and Mrs. Weasley forced her way in, past the aurors and rushed over to George, pulling him into her arms as she fussed over him. "Oh, my baby. I just heard the news and rushed over. I called your father at the office and he said he would get here as soon as he could. Are you alright? What happened?" she asked looking at the pair of them.

"Our shop was attacked by death eaters, mum," George replied.

"I knew it. I knew this would happen when you opened that ridiculous shop. It's time you two came to your senses and got nice, safe jobs at the Ministry like your father." Mrs. Weasley said, standing up straight.

"Mum, we are going to rebuild our shop. Besides these days even working at the Ministry isn't safe." Fred said.

"We'll discuss it further when we get home. The healer said you could come home tonight. We'll get you settled in and you can rest up and get well." Mrs. Weasley said, ignoring Fred altogether.

"Mom, we're not going back to the burrow. We're going to stay at our flat and work on rebuilding our shop. We don't want to work at the Ministry." George said, breaking free of her grip.

"But boys, this silly joke business is no kind of future for you. How do you expect to lead decent, respectable lives selling silly junk." Mrs. Weasley started, only for Fred and George to shake their heads.

"It's what we want. And we intend to follow through on our dream." Fred said, with George nodding beside him.

Looking between them, her mouth opening and closing while trying to think of something to say, Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"Fine. If that's what you want, so be it. But don't say I didn't try to warn you." She said, turning away in a huff, her eyes settling on Ron and the girls. Pursing her lips, she looked away and walked out of the room, heading off towards the lift.

After being cleared to leave, Fred and George headed for the floo and returned to their flat, with Ron and the girls following behind, heading back to the manor.

Settling in at the manor late that evening, Ron relaxed in his bed, his eyes closed as he relaxed against the pillows, Ginny asleep beside him in the bed, her head against his chest. A quiet knock sounded on the door and reaching over to turn on the bedside lamp Ron called out. "Who is it?"

The door opened, and a short blond figure stepped into the room dressed in a nightgown. "It's just me, Ronald," Luna said, closing the door behind her.

"Oh, um hi Luna. What can I do for you?" Ron asked, looking up at her.

"Well since you ask," Luna stated, tugging her nightgown up over her head.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Shocked, Ron's mouth opened and closed as he tried to think of something to say to her. "Err, um Luna. W…what are you doing?" Ron said, staring at her as Ginny shifted beside him, rolling onto her side in her sleep.

Careful not to wake her, Ron sat up, facing Luna who now stood naked in his room, looking shyly down at the floor. "It was Ginny and Fleur's idea. You see, I've liked you for a while and I know about your relationship with Fleur and Ginny, and we all talked it over the last few days, and we sort of decided to share you." Luna said, smiling and walking closer to the bed.

"S…share me? Are you serious?" Ron asked, shocked beyond words.

"Of course. Don't you want me? Am I not good looking enough?" Luna asked, suddenly unsure of herself, her hands fumbling at her sides.

"Of course, you are. Err that is you're incredibly beautiful Luna. It's just that I wasn't expecting… I mean, I never imagined this would happen." Ron said, quietly, his eyes on Luna's naked body, his cock hard and tenting the bedcovers.

"So, you've never thought about me before…in that way?" Luna asked, stopping at the side of the bed inches away from Ron. He need only reach out to touch her.

Swallowing again, Ron reached out, his hand coming to rest on her hip, the feel of her soft skin bringing him out of his trance. Grinning, he kicked off the bed covers, sitting up and gently pulled Luna into his arms.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Ron woke up the next morning to the sound of quiet voices whispering beside him. Opening his eyes and sitting up, Ron saw Ginny, Fleur, and Luna talking to each other. Luna was sitting on top of the bedspread wearing her nightgown from last night. Sitting across from her, Ginny sat wearing one of his old shirts. Meanwhile, Fleur sat in an armchair which had been pulled to the foot of the bed.

Noticing he was awake, they turned to look at him, Ginny smirking, Fleur looking away with a blush, and Luna smiling her usual serene smile.

"Morning Ron." They chorused.

Ron shook his head and groaned, reaching for his wand and casting a quick tempus charm. "Morning." He mumbled as he climbed out of bed.

"Sleep well?" Ginny asked, grinning.

Sparing her a glance, Ron sighed. "You could have warned me, you know." He grumbled.

"Ah, but where's the fun in that?" Ginny said smirking.

Picking up a pillow, Ron tossed it at her head. Ginny merely caught the pillow and laughed as he walked over to his wardrobe to dress for the day. Selecting his outfit for the day, a black long sleeve t-shirt with the Gryffindor lion crest sewn on the right breast, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black, striped boxers, Ron returned to the bed and began to dress, his gaze occasionally drifting to the girls who sat, watching him with grins on their faces.

"You know you could give me a bit of privacy, right?" Ron said, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Yeah, we know," Ginny replied as they continued to sit there, making no move to leave or look away.

Dawning his shirt, Ron failed to notice the mischievous look on their faces as they pounced on him, pinning him down against the bed, completely naked from the waist down, their soft hands exploring his body, encircling and stroking his hard cock. Ron surprised at first, quickly lay back, enjoying the feeling of their hands on him, when a wet heat encircled his cock, making him moan loudly in pleasure. The shirt tugged off of him, Ron glanced down to see Fleur's mouth bobbing up and down on his cock as Luna lay beside her on the bed, a hand between her legs, fingers pumping in and out of her glistening pink core.

Laying against his chest, Ginny kissed him, her fingers coursing through his copper hair. Pulling back, she whispered softly, "Fleur wants to invite her family to spend a week with us before the school term starts. You don't mind, do you?"

His mind a cloud of lust and hazy with the pleasure of Fleur's mouth on his cock, Ron could only nod and mumble yes, his hands gripping Fleur's head as he thrust in and out of her mouth.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Two hours later, Ron lay in the middle of the now magically enlarged bed, with Ginny in his arms and Fleur and Luna lounging under the bedcovers to his left and right, when he suddenly sat upright. "Did somebody say Fleur's parents are coming to visit?" He shouted, startled and somewhat afraid.

Glancing up, Luna smirked. "Told you he would catch on quick."

"Damn. Thanks a lot, Ron. You just cost me five sickles." Ginny said, smacking his arm.

"W…why…why are they coming here? D…do they know about us…err me?" Ron asked, turning a shade of red to match his hair.

Propping herself up on her elbow, Fleur spared him an innocent look. "I was hoping you and I could tell them together." She said calmly.

Choking, Ron looked panic-stricken at the very idea and briefly considered making a break for the floo and renting a room at the Leaky Cauldron until the start of term when Fleur laughed, finally taking pity on him.

"I'm kidding. All they know is that I'm leaving Bill and that you are letting me stay in one of the guest rooms while we settle things. I'd rather not tell them about you until I have a better idea of where things are going." She said, sharing an amused glance with Luna and Ginny.

Settling back against the headboard, Ron let out a relieved sigh as Ginny, Fleur, and Luna climbed out of bed, heading towards their respective rooms to shower and dress, leaving Ron alone with his thoughts. Deciding to get out of bed for the day, Ron headed towards his private bathroom to shower, shave and dress for the day before heading downstairs. Entering the dining room, he found Hermione idly nibbling a piece of toast while reading a thick, leather-bound book and taking notes on a sheaf of parchment with her quill. She looked up when Ron approached and waved him over.

"Ron, I'm glad you're here. I need your help to test a new spell I'm working on." She said, looking up as the other girls came in to sit at the breakfast table.

"Sure, Hermione. Meet me in the library after breakfast and we'll work on it together." Ron said as he loaded his plate. He had worked up a huge appetite and began ravenously devouring his food.

The girls who were used to his eating habits by now dug into their own breakfasts, hardly noticing him. A few minutes later, they looked up when the post arrived, three owls flying in, two of them landing in front of Ron and Hermione respectively, dropping off their copies of the Daily Prophet, the third landing in front of Fleur. Hermione and Ron relieved their owls of their burdens, the birds promptly taking flight out the windows again while Fleur removed the letter from her own owl and offered it a piece of bacon from her plate.

Opening the letter, she read through the contents, absentmindedly petting the tawny owl in front of her. When she finished the letter, she looked up at Ron. "My parents and little sister are coming in tomorrow. They're renting a couple of rooms at the Leaky Cauldron and would like your permission to visit the manor for a few hours." She said.

Looking up from the Daily Prophet, Ron nodded and set the paper down. "Sure, that's fine with me." I'll add their names to the ward book later, so they can visit whenever they like." Ron said, before finishing his breakfast.

Ron had changed a lot over the last few weeks and while he still lacked decent table manners he had stopped eating as much and begun to tone. His interest in Quidditch had kept him fit, and he had begun to develop a lean, muscular build. Something the girls had noticed and were secretly pleased with. With help from Hermione and encouragement from the girls, he had even taken more interest in his studies although he still much preferred to be flying on his broom or playing chess.

After finishing their breakfasts, he and Hermione stood up from the table and excused themselves. "Ron is going to help me test a new spell I'm working on, in the library if you need us," Hermione said as they left the dining hall and headed towards the library.

Walking into the library, Hermione stopped to look over the notes and books she had laid out on a nearby table. "Have a seat, Ron. I just need to check something first then we'll get started."

"What's this spell supposed to do anyway?" Ron asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"It's supposed to enhance one's natural abilities," Hermione replied, still looking at her notes.

"Natural abilities?" Ron asked, curious.

"Yeah, you know. Vision, hearing, sense of smell. That sort of thing." Hermione replied, looking up from her notes and drawing her wand.

"Oh okay. That's cool, I guess. Are there any side effects I should know about?" Ron asked.

"Well, we'll find out in a minute," Hermione said, waving her wand and silently casting her spell.

"Okay. Wait…what?" Ron asked, just as the spell hit him. A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. Ron looked around and Hermione bit her lip in thought. "Do you feel any different?" She asked.

"Not really. I think…agh!" Ron let out a loud cry of pain and fell out of the chair onto the floor spasming uncontrollably.

"Ron! Ron are you okay?" Hermione said, kneeling down beside Ron, fussing worriedly.

A few minutes later, Fleur, Ginny, and Luna came running into the library, looking about and spotting them, came rushing over. "What's going on? We heard someone screaming." Fleur said.

"Ron, Ron are you okay?" Ginny said, kneeling beside Ron trying to help him.

"Oh my," Luna stated, somewhat surprised.

Ron had finally stopped spasming but now lay quiet and unmoving. That wasn't what caused the girls such shock though. While he was spasming, Ron's body had begun to warp and alter itself. His features had become more defined, his skin pale and smooth, his ears no longer sticking out so much, his face handsome and dignified. His hair had grown longer, now splayed down around his shoulders and now a very dark shade of red, almost black. During his spasming, his shirt had ridden up, now revealing a six pack, a light dusting of fine dark hair over his chest.

Slowly, Ron finally came too and opened his eyes causing the girls to gasp in shock. His eyes were now slitted like a cat and had changed to a dark amber color. Groaning, Ron sat up slowly. "What happened?" He asked, revealing dazzling, brilliant white teeth. His voice was rich and deep, it seemed to draw them in as if they were in a trance.

"Ron, are you okay? You collapsed and started spasming. We heard you screaming all the way upstairs." Ginny said, shaking her head, her hands on his arm.

"I feel fine. Honestly, I've never felt so great in my life. Shaking his head, Ron looked around. "Weird. Things look so much clearer now. I can smell the gardens through the window over there. I never realized how wonderful flowers smelt before." Ron said pointing to the window, thirty feet away on the other side of the library.

"Ron the gardens are at least two hundred feet from here," Fleur said, skeptically.

Chewing her bottom lip in thought, Hermione waved her wand over him, casting diagnostic spells. "Weird. Ron seems to have undergone a creature transformation." She said.

Startled, Ron looked up at her. "What kind of creature transformation?" He asked, worriedly.

"I'm not sure. I'll have to do some research to find out." Hermione said, anxiously looking around the bookshelves in the library.

Standing, Ron slowly shook himself looking around the room, trying to adjust to his new heightened senses. All the new changes to his senses of sight and smell were starting to overwhelm him and feeling dizzy he braced himself against the table, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Ron are you okay? Maybe we should take you upstairs to lay down for a little while." Ginny said taking his right arm as Fleur grabbed his left. They helped him to stand and led him out of the library and up the stairs to the master bedroom.

"Now then, let's get you undressed so you can take a short kip," Ginny said, as she, Fleur and Luna began to undress him. Ron was still quite dizzy and so let them help him without making too much of a fuss until he was dressed in only his socks and a pair of boxers.

Fleur, Luna, and Ginny froze looking down in shock and disbelief, their mouths hanging open.

Startled, Ron glanced around at each of their stunned faces. "What? What's wrong?" He asked, looking down where their gazes were focused. His boxers were now at least one size too small and revealing the outline of his groin. Tugging them down, he gasped too. Ron's cock which had only that morning been five inches long was now a shocking 8 ½ inches and was now as thick around as a butterbeer bottle.

"Wow," Fleur said, softly.

Dumbly, Ginny nodded, her mouth gaping like a fish. "Yeah."

Luna, smiling serenely, just stared at it, saying nothing.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Hours later, in the Library, Hermione sat reviewing her notes, studying the data from the diagnostic scans and passages from several books in front of her and let out a gasp.

"Merlin's beard. It can't be. Ron's an…" She whispered to herself.

TBC

Author's note. I know this story started out a bit sordid but I want to make it about more than just lemons. I have had a few bad reviews and was kind of doubting whether I should go through with this story, but I've decided to persevere. In the next chapter, the Delacours visit and we learn what creature Ron has turned into. Also, in the next couple of chapters Ron and the girls will set out for Platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwarts school year will begin. Please review and tell me what you think.


	10. Chapter 10

Previously on Machinations…

"What's this spell supposed to do anyway?" Ron asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"It's supposed to enhance one's natural abilities," Hermione replied, still looking at her notes.

"Natural abilities?" Ron asked, curious.

"Yeah, you know. Vision, hearing, sense of smell. That sort of thing." Hermione replied, looking up from her notes and drawing her wand.

"Oh okay. That's cool, I guess. Are there any side effects I should know about?" Ron asked.

"Ron, Ron are you okay?" Ginny said, kneeling beside Ron trying to help him.

"Oh my," Luna stated, somewhat surprised.

"Weird. Ron seems to have undergone a creature transformation." Hermione stated, waving her wand over him.

Hours later, in the library, Hermione sat reviewing her notes, studying the data from the diagnostic scans and passages from several books in front of her and let out a gasp.

"Merlin's beard. It can't be. Ron's an…" She whispered to herself.

Chapter 10

Ron sat on the bed, overwhelmed with all these new changes. All the news smells and changes to his hearing and vision as well were still making his head spin but it wasn't so bad now that he was sitting down. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to try and clear his head. Gradually, he became aware of new smells, coming from the girls. At first, he couldn't identify them, but opening his eyes he concluded that it was the scent of arousal, if their expressions were anything to go by.

Ron felt a shiver run through him and then something almost like a breeze stir through the room although he noted that the window was shut. Suddenly the smell grew much stronger, and the girls slowly began to approach the bed, their eyes slightly glazed, when the door to the room burst open.

Hermione rushed into the room, her eyes darting around, taking in the whole scene. "I was right. I knew it. Ginny, Fleur, Luna, Ron's become a male veela." She said loudly, snapping the other girls out of their trances.

Shaking their heads slowly, they all turned to look at Hermione as Ron did the same. "I'm a what?" Ron asked.

"How can that be? Male veela are very, very rare." Fleur said softly, looking at Ron in astonishment.

"I'm guessing one of his ancestors was a veela and the gene was passed down through the generations and lay dormant inside Ron until the spell caused it to activate," Hermione stated, as they all took seats around Ron on the magically enlarged bed.

"But the veela transformation still wouldn't explain the heightened senses," Fleur said, looking at Ron.

"Well, maybe not the veela transformation, but the spell I designed was meant to enhance one's natural abilities. In addition to activating the dormant veela gene, it also enhanced his hearing, vision, and sense of smell as it was originally designed to do. So, in a sense it did work." Hermione said, pleased with her new spell.

"What can you tell us about the veela transformation? What exactly is going to happen to Ron now?" Ginny asked, turning to face Fleur.

"Well as I said, male veela are quite rare. Only one in a hundred veela are male so it's hard to say. I do know that they have the same special allure as female veela, only their allure affects women. Like all veela, they have a larger magical core than regular witches and wizards, so their spells and enchantments tend to be much stronger and more effective. Veela usually tend to mate for life, and like all veela, they live in covens in order to stabilize their volatile magic." Fleur finished.

"Covens? Aren't those illegal in Magical Britain?" Ginny asked.

"No. They're frowned upon but not illegal." Hermione supplied, helpfully.

"Covens? How can a coven help stabilize my magic?" Ron asked, confused.

"Witches and wizards who enter into covens place their magical knowledge and abilities into a sort of collective pool. In essence, what one member of the collective knows or can do, they all know and can do. Plus, if a member of the coven is ever injured or in danger, and their own magical core is depleted, they can draw on the magic of the other members of the collective to escape to safety or defend themselves as needed. The collective becomes larger and stronger with each new person who joins the coven. The trouble is some covens throughout history have gone rogue and turned to criminal behavior which is why the British ministry put a limit on the number of people that covens, in Wizarding Britain, can have." Hermione finished.

"Wow, that's incredible. It sounds really useful. I wonder why more people don't form them." Ron said.

"That's what we should do then. We'll form a coven to help Ron." Ginny stated confidently.

"Oui. I think it's a good idea. Count me in." Fleur added.

"I agree. I'll do some research and try to find out how covens are formed so we can make one." Hermione said.

"Exactly how many people can covens in Wizarding Britain have?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

"Seven, I think. It's the most magical number. We have five people here, and when Harry gets back he can join and that will be six. We'll have room for one more person if we want." Hermione said, after thinking for a moment.

"Excellent. We can try to form our own coven before we go to Hogwarts then." Ginny said.

"I'll go get started on the research then. I think I saw a couple of books on covens while I was in the library earlier." Hermione stated, excited as she climbed to her feet and headed for the door.

"I've been wanting to explore the library a bit more myself. I'll come with you." Luna said, standing as well.

"Me too. I'd love to learn more about covens with non-veela members." Fleur said, joining them as they left the room and headed towards the library.

Alone in the room, Ron turned to face Ginny, a grin on his face. "Now that we're alone, Gin Gin, why don't we…" Ron started only to have Ginny push him away and shake her head.

"Not for the next few days, Ron. Sorry." Ginny replied, with a sigh as Ron began to sulk.

"What? Why not?" He said, slumping back against the headboard.

"Because it's that time for me. Besides, I need a break." Ginny replied looking away embarrassed.

Nodding, Ron blushed and looked away awkwardly. "Oh…okay then." He said, trying to ease the awkward feeling that had developed suddenly. This wasn't a topic he was comfortable discussing. "Why don't we do something else then? Fancy a game of chess?" Ron asked, excited at the prospect of a game of chess.

"Sure. I'd love too if you're feeling up too it. You were having trouble walking earlier and we had to practically carry you out of the library and up the stairs." Ginny said, glancing at him worriedly.

"I'm better now. My chess set is in the drawer over in the corner." Ron said, standing on shaky feet and slowly walking to retrieve the chess set before setting it up on the bed between them.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"That's interesting. According to this, members of the coven can communicate telepathically and even share memories." Hermione said, skimming through a paragraph in the book she was reading.

"It sounds like it could be awkward and embarrassing. Having no secrets from each other. I mean there are some things you'd rather nobody else knew." Fleur stated, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"Apparently its one of the main reasons few people ever form covens. It's impossible to have any privacy." Hermione continued.

"And Ron certainly has a secret he'd rather nobody else knew," Luna said, absentmindedly.

"A secret? What kind of secret?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Oh nothing," Luna said, turning back to the book.

"Oookay then. Moving on. According to this, the members of the coven have to pledge an oath of loyalty to each other. That is, they can't ever betray each other, or their oath will kill them. I wonder whether that's a good thing or not. Not that any of us would ever betray each other." Hermione said, chewing her bottom lip.

"Maybe we should rethink this. I'm not sure how Harry would react to the relationship between Ron and Ginny. They were quite close before Harry ended things. It could cause some trouble if he were included in the bond." Fleur said, absentmindedly.

"You think Harry should be left out of the coven?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"I just think the whole lack of secrets and the loyalty bond could cause some trouble between us all. And if anything happened we could end up really regretting it." Fleur said.

"I hadn't thought of that. You make a good point. What do you think, Luna?" Hermione said, sighing softly and turning to look at Luna.

"I agree. It could cause some major problems between us." Luna replied, somewhat glum.

"I suppose. I just don't like excluding Harry from this. We've always been a group, Ron, Harry and me. It feels wrong not to include him, but I'd never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him." Hermione said, downcast.

"I suppose we have everything we need to start the coven ritual," Hermione said, at last, closing the book in front of her.

"Excellent. We can set up everything and perform the ritual this weekend before the start of term." Luna said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

The next day, around ten-thirty that morning, they gathered in the parlor around the floo to wait for the Delacours who would be arriving any minute. Ron had asked the house elves prepare a big lunch to welcome them.

Ron stood somewhat impatiently a few feet back from the fireplace, fidgeting nervously.

"Calm down, Ron. They're going to love you. I promise." Fleur said trying to comfort him before adding, "as long as you try to eat like a normal person during lunch."

Groaning, Ron turned to glance at Fleur who just smiled back and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be alright. Trust me." She said.

"I suppose so," Ron said, trying to overcome his fears.

Just then the floo roared to life and a tall man who appeared to be in his early forties, with short dark brown hair, green eyes, and a stern look stepped out of the floo followed by a woman who could only be Fleur's mother, holding the hand of Gabrielle, whom Ron recognized from her visit to Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament.

"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Delacour, Gabrielle, to the Barrows manor. I'm Ron and this is my sister, Ginny and our friends, Luna and Hermione. I, err, believe you've already met her." Ron said, trying to act confident. Inside he was panicking.

"Thank you. I'm Jean and this is my wife, Camille, and our daughter Gabrielle, whom I believe you already know." Jean said, stepping forward and offering his hand for Ron to shake.

"Yes, of course. A pleasure to meet you both and to see you again, Gabrielle." Ron said, shaking Jean's hand.

After the pleasantries had been exchanged, they sat around the parlor with Fleur catching up with her parents while Hermione and Gabrielle talked animatedly about all that had happened since they last saw each other.

"I understand you're in your seventh year at Hogwarts," Jean said, turning to face Ron.

"Err, yes. That's correct. It's my last year." Ron said, turning to look at Jean.

"And how have you enjoyed your time at Hogwarts? It's it a good school?" Jean asked, considering him carefully.

"Oh yes. Hogwarts is one of the finest schools in the world. I've made many friends and had a lot of great times. I've played on the Quidditch team for my house, helped to win the house cup and had a lot of interesting adventures. To be honest, I'm going to be heartbroken to leave Hogwarts after graduation." Ron said, slightly downcast at the prospect.

"I see. Fleur is going to take up a teaching position there, and Gabrielle has expressed a desire to transfer there, but I've been a little hesitant since it's so far from home and she would be leaving all her friends behind for a totally new environment. She really didn't have much time to explore Hogwarts and make many friends during her last visit, so I've been worried that she might not fit in well." Jean finished.

"Well, Hogwarts is a great school, filled with many wonderful and friendly people. Plus, Hermione, Ron, Luna and I will be there to support her, if she decides to transfer and since Fleur is going to be a professor, she'll be well looked after if she does transfer from Beauxbatons." Ginny added, trying to reassure him.

"Thank you. That's very reassuring. I'm glad that my daughter has you all to support her during this rough patch in her life. To be honest, we were a little unhappy with Fleur marrying Bill. There just seemed to be something missing from the relationship, somehow." Camille added, turning to face them while Ron, Fleur, and Ginny sat awkwardly, unsure what to say.

After lunch, they gave the Delacours a tour of the manor and the grounds and spent a few hours relaxing and enjoying the gardens, before the Delacours said goodbye for the night and after making plans to meet up in Diagon Alley the next day, they took the floo to the Leaky Cauldron.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Ron woke up the next morning to the sunlight streaming through the window. Casting a quick tempus, Ron sighed. Six thirty in the morning. He missed the times when he could sleep till noon, but the girls had insisted he be more active and not sleep all day and his desire to please them had made him more productive.

Sitting up in bed, Ron slowly extracted himself from the tangle of limbs and bed covers. Fleur, Luna, and Ginny had all taken to sleeping in the same bed as him each night, returning to their rooms, only to shower and dress for the day.

Striding across the room, Ron headed towards the bathroom to shower, groom and use the restroom before returning to the bedroom to dress for the day. Selecting a pair of blue jeans, socks, boxers, and a maroon t-shirt with the Gryffindor crest stitched into the breast, he quickly dressed and made his way downstairs for breakfast.

Helping himself to a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon, Ron sighed. The girls were up late last night making sure the preparations for the coven ritual were finally complete. To his surprise, Gabrielle had requested to join their coven when she learned of their plans since her parents had given her permission to transfer to Hogwarts to finish her education after spending time with them the previous day. She would begin her fourth year this term, and her parents felt that joining a coven with trusted family and friends would be good for her.

Ron looked up from his plate as Ginny and Luna walked into the dining room and took a seat at the table. "Morning. How did you sleep?" He asked, looking at them.

"Fine, I guess," Ginny said, spreading marmalade on toast.

"I slept very well, and you Ronald?" Luna said, piling scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"So, so." Ron supplied, while secretly wishing he were still asleep as he poured himself a cup of tea.

"That's good. Are you looking forward to visiting Diagon Alley today?" Ron asked.

"I guess so. I was going to ask you, if you could loan me some gold, Ron. There are a few things I need while I'm there, and since we've left the burrow, mum no longer takes me shopping." Ginny said, awkwardly.

"Oh, um yeah, of course. Sorry, I should have thought of that before. We can go to Gringotts and set up a vault for you with a yearly stipend from the Dumbledore vault." Ron said, eagerly.

"Really? Are you sure? Err, that is I don't want to be an imposition." Ginny said, quickly.

"Nonsense. It's only right that I provide for all of you, considering our relationship. I was already planning to do the same for Hermione, and it's not like I can't afford it. The four of you are the most important people in my life. I depend on all of you." Ron said, reassuring her while feeling somewhat awkward at the sudden expression of his feelings. Emotions had never been his strong suit, but he had begun to try where they were concerned.

Just then, Hermione and Fleur came into the room dressed in casual attire for their trip to Diagon Alley later in the day. They arrived just in time to catch the last bit of the conversation. "Ron are you sure you want to do that? I mean its fine for them since you're all in a relationship, but I'm not and I don't want to be a burden to you." Hermione said quickly.

"Yeah, Ron. I have plenty of gold saved up. Besides my family is very well off." Fleur said as they took a seat at the table.

"I'm positive. It's important to me. Before I never had any money to spend on my friends and loved ones and now that I do, I want to share it with the people I care about." Ron said.

"Well, I guess its okay then. As long as you don't go overboard." Luna said, before digging into her breakfast.

"Excellent. It's settled then. I'll set everything up when we visit Gringotts today." Ron said, happily.

"While we're in Diagon Alley we need to visit Strickland and Talfoots," Fleur said, sitting down.

"What? Why?" Ron asked.

"Because you need to finalize the arrangements with them for the contract with House Dumbledore, and I need to hire a barrister who specializes in divorce. Not to mention, you need to take legal action against that Skeeter woman for libel. Now that you're a public figure, you need to protect your reputation." Fleur stated.

"Oh yes, of course." We can do that too then. I'd nearly forgotten about Rita Skeeter for the moment." Ron said with a sigh, finishing his breakfast. "I'll fire call them and make an appointment for us both."

Standing up, Ron left the dining hall and headed to the parlor to fire call the law firm and make an appointment for himself and Fleur to meet with barristers.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Later that day, they exited the floo in the Leaky Cauldron and met up with Jean, Camille, and Gabrielle in the common room of the Leaky Cauldron where they had lunch together before setting out into Diagon Alley.

TBC

In the next chapter, the group goes into Diagon Alley and visit Gringotts and Strickland and Talfoots and then a small time skip to the weekend before the start of term and the creation of their coven.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Stepping into Diagon Alley, Ron led the way with Ginny, Luna, and Hermione a pace behind him, pointing out various shops to the Delacours, save Fleur, who had never visited Diagon Alley before. They were fascinated by all the shops and the people and wanted to stop at each shop along the way.

"It's so amazing. I just love it. Oh, look. It's a pet store. Can we go look at the animals?" Gabrielle asked excitedly, turning to look at them, her arm interlocked with Hermione's as they strode through the Alley.

"Sure, if you want too. But first, we have to make a quick stop at Gringotts." Ron said, smiling at her as they approached the huge marble building at the end of the alley. Walking into the lobby, Ron and the girls stopped at the counter, while the Delacours, waited quietly by the entrance to the bank. Walking up to the nearest open teller, they waited for the goblin, who was marking figures down in a ledger, to look up at them.

"Yes. What can I do for you?" The goblin asked in a sharp tone.

"Um, I'd like to see my account manager about setting up a trust vault for my sister and yearly stipends for my friends, from my vault," Ron said.

"Very well. And your name?" the goblin asked.

"Ron Weasley Dumbledore," Ron answered.

"Very well. Follow me, please." The goblin said, closing his counter before leading them through the same set of doors as last time, heading down the corridor before stopping at the office of Razorclaw, the Dumbledore account manager.

Knocking on the door, the goblin waited for Razorclaw's short bark of, "Enter," before stepping aside and motioning them into the office.

"Wizard Weasley Dumbledore. Welcome. What may I do for you today?" Razorclaw asked, standing up to greet them, and resuming his seat once they had taken seats in front of his desk.

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Ron spoke. "I'd like to arrange a trust vault for my sister and yearly stipends for each of my companions from my vault."

"Very well. And how much would you like the starting balance in your sister's trust vault to be?" Razorclaw asked, pushing a series of runes on a panel on his desk.

"Er, maybe, 2,000 galleons." He said, looking at Ginny for a moment before turning back to Razorclaw. "Yes. 2,000 galleons." Ron replied.

"Very well. And the girls in question for whom the stipends are to go too and the amount of each stipend?" Razorclaw asked.

"Fleur Delacour, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley. I was thinking maybe 500 galleons a year for each of them." Ron replied.

"As you wish. Please sign here and press your house ring to the parchment." Razorclaw said, pushing a sheaf of forms and a quill forward.

Reaching forward, Ron took the quill and signed his name where Razorclaw indicated before pressing his ring to the parchment next to his signature. There was a small flash of light from his ring and Razorclaw took the parchment back.

"Excellent. It's done. The trust vault is set up and the stipends are arranged." Razorclaw said, passing a small brass vault key forward.

Ron took the key and handed it to Ginny. "While we're here, would it be possible to make a quick withdraw?" Ron asked.

"Certainly. This way please." Razorclaw replied, standing from the desk."

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Making their way out of Gringotts accompanied by the Delacours, their money pouches heavy with gold, they set off once again into Diagon Alley. They split up into small groups, stopping at a number of shops, where they browsed through the merchandise, making occasional purchases and picking up mail-order catalogs before stopping at a large, posh building at the edge of the alley with a sign that read Strickland and Talfoots.

Walking into the building they found themselves in a spacious and very impressively appointed lobby. Across the room, a witch, dressed in immaculate magenta robes, sat behind a reception desk. Walking across the plush carpeting, they stopped at the desk.

"Can I help you?" The witch asked, looking up at them as they approached.

"Yes. I'm Ronald Weasley Dumbledore, and this is Fleur Delacour. We both have appointments to meet with barristers here." Ron said, quietly.

Looking over an appointment ledger on the desk in front of her, the receptionist looked up nodding. "Of course. I'll let them know you're here if you'd like to wait in the lounge to the right. There are complimentary pastries, coffee, and tea. Feel free to help yourself." She said.

"Thank you," Ron said, leading the way towards the lounge. Ron took a seat beside Fleur and stared at the wall. A few minutes later, the witch at the desk called their names. Standing they crossed the room and followed her down a corridor to a lift, which they took to the second floor. They stopped outside a door marked Harris Strickland, and the witch knocked before letting them into the office.

Ron and Fleur walked into the office and the witch left, returning to her post in the downstairs lobby. A tall man, dressed in silver and black dress robes stood beside the desk, next to a short, balding man in matching robes. "Welcome. I'm Harris Strickland and this is my protégé, Arthur Billings. He will be helping Miss Delacour with her divorce, while you and I finalize our contract and discuss the libel suit you mentioned when you contacted us, Lord Dumbledore." The short man, Harris, spoke from behind his desk.

"Excellent. A pleasure to meet you." Ron said, reaching forward to shake the hand Harris offered.

"Oui. Charmed, I'm sure." Fleur said, echoing Ron's statement.

"If you'll follow me, we'll get started," Arthur said, leading Fleur out of the office.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

An hour and a half later, Ron and Fleur emerged from the office building into Diagon Alley once again and headed towards the Leaky Cauldron where they had all agreed to meet up earlier that day. Walking into the common room, they looked around, spotting Ginny, Luna, Hermione and the Delacours sitting around a large table drinking butterbeer. They looked up as Ron and Fleur approached.

"There you two are. We were wondering what kept you. Did you get everything sorted out?" Hermione asked as they sat down.

"Oui. We got most of it handled. My barrister and I drew up a rough draft of the divorce parchment work for Bill's barrister. Hopefully, we'll get everything settled and official soon." Fleur said, sitting down and helping herself to a bottle of butterbeer and a packet of crisps from the table.

"Same here. I finalized my contract with Strickland and began proceedings for a libel suit against the Daily Prophet and Rita Skeeter." Ron said, sitting back in the chair and taking a swig from his own butterbeer.

"That's good. I hope you finally put that horrid woman in her place, Ron." Ginny said with a grimace.

A few minutes later, Tom, the innkeeper wobbled over to the table and passed out lunch menus. They ordered their meals and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with the Delacours before saying their farewells and taking the floo to the manor for the evening.

As Ron stepped out of the floo, Taffy appeared with a bow. "Master's gifties bes arriving from Diagon Alley while he was out. They's beings on the desk ins the study, Master." Taffy said, bowing again before popping away.

"Gifts? What gifts? What was he talking about, Ron?" Hermione asked, ever the curious one in their group.

Turning a shade of red, Ron blushed and stammered for a moment. "Well, err, that is I um, sort of bought something special for each of you while I was out today." He said, his cheeks turning a shade of crimson to match his hair.

"Oh, how sweet of you. That was so thoughtful." Fleur said, stepping forward and softly kissing Ron's cheek as Ginny wrapped her arms around Ron's shoulders and kissed his lips before stepping back again, grinning.

"It was very generous of you, Ron. I can't wait to see them." Luna said in her usual serene voice.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Ronald, but thank you. It's very sweet of you to think of me, considering everything." Hermione smiled shyly, wrapping Ron in a hug as Fleur and Ginny stepped back.

"It was nothing, really. You're all very important to me and I wanted to show you that I do love all of you, even you Hermione, just in a friendly way, of course." Ron said, reassuring her.

"Well, I for one can't wait to see what you bought. Let's go." Ginny said, excitedly, dragging Ron by the arm towards the study.

Walking into the room, Ron led the way over to the desk and sat in the chair, opening a large neatly wrapped parcel with several smaller boxes inside. Taking them out he quickly checked the contents before handing them out. One to Hermione who quickly opened hers. Inside was a silver charm bracelet with a small book charm attached to it.

"I know how much you love to study so I chose this one as the starter to go with it. You can add more charms to it if you like, but I thought that one suited you. Hermione, without your help I never would have made it this far. You're one of the smartest witches I know and the very best of friends. I love you and I hope we'll be friends forever." Ron said, blushing.

"Oh Ron, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Thank you so much." Hermione said, wrapping him in a hug, tears misting her eyes.

Stepping back, Ron picked up the next box and handed it to Luna. "I know you lost most of your possessions when your house was destroyed, and I remembered you were always fond of your butterbeer cap necklace, so I wanted to get you a new necklace to replace the one you lost. It's not quite the same as the one you lost but it's a start." Ron said, passing her the box.

Luna opened the box to find a long silver chain, with a single butterbeer cap strung on it inside the box. Looking up, she smiled and wrapped Ron in a hug. "Thank you. It means a lot to me, Ronald." She said, stepping back.

"Fleur, we haven't spent all that much time around each other so I wasn't entirely sure what to get you. I hope you like this." Ron said passing another box to her. Inside were a pair of sapphire earrings.

"Oh, Ron. Zey're absolutely beautiful. Z'ank you so much." Fleur said, temporarily lapsing into her latent French accent as she rushed forward, kissing Ron's cheek and hugging him.

"Ginny, you and I have had our ups and downs over the years, and our relationship could have started off better, but I was a bit of a jerk and for that I'm sorry. I do love you, more than I can ever say. I want you to have this as a token of my love." Ron said, passing a box to her. Inside, lay a black silk choker decorated with a glittering ruby.

Her eyes misting with tears, Ginny took the gift and wrapped Ron in a hug, her face buried in his shoulder. "This is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me, Ron. I love it. Thank you." Ginny said, stepping back.

The girls took a moment to admire their gifts as Ron helped them put them on. "I wanted to let you know how much I care about each of you, but these gifts also serve a secondary purpose. They have an emergency portkey charm on them that will transport you to the manor if you're ever in danger. With the way things are going out there, I thought they might come in handy." Ron said, looking at each of them.

"Thank you, Ron. This was very sweet and very thoughtful of you." Hermione said, the others echoing her sentiment.

"Err, Ron, what is in this last box here?" Fleur asked, pointing to the remaining long rectangular box in the parcel.

"Oh well, um those were a sort of special surprise for you, Luna and Ginny. I was going to wait to give them to you at a more suitable time…" Ron started, cut off as Fleur picked it up and opened it, letting out a surprised gasp.

"Ron, are these what I think they are?" Fleur asked softly.

"Let me see…oh my." Hermione said, turning to face Ron.

"Ron, these are betrothal rings," Ginny whispered softly, a stunned look on her face as she turned to face Ron.

TBC

Author's note: In the next chapter, the girls react to Ron's surprise, the coven ritual takes place, and the group learns a little more about each other.


	12. Chapter 12

Previously on Machinations…

"Excellent. It's done. The trust vault is set up and the stipends are arranged." Razorclaw said, passing a small brass vault key forward.

"Can I help you?" The witch asked, looking up at them as they approached.

"Yes. I'm Ronald Weasley Dumbledore, and this is Fleur Delacour. We both have appointments to meet with barristers here." Ron said, quietly.

"Oui. We got most of it handled. My barrister and I drew up a rough draft of the divorce parchment work for Bill's barrister. Hopefully, we'll get everything settled and official soon." Fleur said, sitting down and helping herself to a bottle of butterbeer and a packet of crisps from the table.

"Gifts? What gifts? What was he talking about, Ron?" Hermione asked, ever the curious one in their group.

"Ron, are these what I think they are?" Fleur asked softly.

"Let me see…oh my." Hermione said, turning to face Ron.

"Ron, these are betrothal rings," Ginny whispered softly, a stunned look on her face as she turned to face Ron.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Machinations

Chapter 12 part 1

"Ron, what is this? Betrothal rings? Have you gone insane? Did you give this any thought at all?" Hermione asked, looking at him as though he'd lost his mind.

"Of course I have, Hermione. I've given it a lot of thought. Give me a little credit." Ron said defensively, his ears turning red to match his hair.

"But Ron, this is serious. Marriage is a big step. You're very young. How long have you been planning this?" Fleur asked, stepping forward, the ring box in her hand.

"For a while now. I did some research on Wizarding Law, and the lords of noble houses in Wizarding Britain are allowed to take more than one spouse if they are the last living male heir of that house. It's an obscure law that is not in common practice anymore, but it is legal. Fleur, Luna, Ginny, the three of you mean everything to me. I could never bear to lose any of you. I know it won't be easy, and I know I'm far from perfect. But I do love all of you. Please give it some thought before you answer." Ron said, a hint of a plea in his voice.

Ginny looked at the rings for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. Taking one of the three matching rings she handed it to him and held out her hand. "I do love you, Ron. You already know that. We can never have a real marriage, but this is enough for me. My answer is yes." She said, smiling.

Flushing crimson, Ron took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger, as she watched. Smiling, Ginny wrapped him in a hug and kissed him.

Striding forward, Luna copied the gesture. "I do love you, Ronald, but I'm not ready for this stage of our relationship just yet. I'm not saying no, just not yet." She said, pulling back, a smile on her face.

Fleur shook her head sadly, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ron. I do care for you, but I'm not sure that it would work. I've just got out of a failed marriage and I'm not sure I can go through it again if this doesn't work out." She said, turning away and running out of the room.

Heartbroken, Ron collapsed into the desk chair, looking down at his feet. "Well, that could have gone better." He thought to himself, morose.

"Are you okay, Ron?" Hermione asked, walking up to him.

"I'm not sure," Ron said, trying to fight back tears.

"It's okay to feel sad, Ron," Luna said, cupping his cheek.

"I'm not sad," Ron said, defensively.

"Then why are you crying?" Ginny asked, wrapping her arms around him.

"What? I…I'm not. Men don't cry." Ron said, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Everyone cries, Ron. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Hermione said, trying to comfort him.

"It hurts, you know. I really care about Fleur. It's a million times worse than when I found out about you being, you know." Ron sighed, glancing at Hermione.

"What's that supposed to mean, Ronald?" Hermione asked, somewhat waspish.

"Well it's just that I thought what I felt for you all those years was love, but it's nothing like what I feel for them," Ron said, nodding to Ginny and Luna. "I just feel like my heart is shattering and someone is grinding the pieces into a powder. I love Fleur. What if I've lost her forever?" Ron continued, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Oh, Ron. I'm so sorry. I know it hurts now, but it will get better. I think Fleur cares for you very deeply. She just needs time to sort things out. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. It can be very stressful and overwhelming. Give her some time. We're all here for you." Hermione said, hugging him from behind, her chin resting on the top of his head as Ginny and Luna leaned into him, hugging him from the sides.

"Hermione's right. Just give her time, Ronald." Luna said, patting his arm.

"We'll be here for you no matter what. Fleur loves you, she just needs time." Ginny said, kissing his cheek.

"Maybe. I'm just going to go lay down for a little while." Ron said, standing and heading for the door.

"Wow, he's really depressed. Maybe we should keep an eye on him." Ginny said, watching him leave.

"What makes you say that?" Luna asked.

"Usually when he's depressed, he eats," Ginny said.

"Ginny, he never stops eating. How can you tell when he's depressed?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, this time he went to bed instead of eating," Ginny said, fretting.

"Oh, sweet Merlin." Hermione breathed.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Walking into his bedroom on the second floor, Ron froze, seeing Fleur sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for him.

"Ron, we need to talk." She said.

"What do we need to talk about? You were very clear. You don't want to marry me, Fleur." Ron said, trying not to look as hurt as he felt.

"Ron, it's not that simple. I've just been going through a lot the last few weeks, and there are several things about my future that I need to consider before I make any serious decisions." Fleur said, looking at him.

"Fleur I know I'm not perfect. I'm not famous like Harry or smart like Hermione. I'm not as clever as Fred and George, I'm not as mature as Percy or as handsome as Charlie. But I do love you. Whatever it is that I did wrong, I'm sorry. Please just give me another chance to make it right before you decide to leave." Ron said, desperately.

"Ron, it's not that simple. You didn't do anything wrong. And I do love you." Fleur said quietly from her perch on the bed.

"Then what is it?" Ron asked, standing the doorway.

"Ron, I'm pregnant," Fleur said.

"What? B…but I thought you said that you and Bill never had, you know." Ron said, dumbfounded.

"We didn't. Ron…it's not Bill's child." Fleur said, looking up at him.

"Then whose child…ohhh. Okay then." Ron said, taking a half step forward into the room before falling flat onto the floor, face first, in a dead faint.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"Ron. Ron, wake up." A voice said, from somewhere nearby.

Ron groaned, blinking his eyes blearily. Dimly he was aware of someone slapping his cheeks and shaking him.

Opening his eyes, he saw a wall of bushy brown hair floating above him. Slowly he sat up and was able to focus. "Easy, Ron. Are you okay?" Hermione asked.

Looking around he realized he was lying on the middle of his bed, with Ginny and Luna perched beside him looking worried and Fleur standing by the window, staring out across the grounds. "Merlin's beard. I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that Fleur said she was…oh crap." Ron said, his head spinning as he turned to look at Fleur.

"Fleur…?" Ron asked, swallowing nervously.

"It's wasn't a dream, Ron. I'm pregnant." Fleur snapped, shaking her head.

"Oh my god. Fleur, how wonderful. I'm so happy for you. Isn't that great, Ginny?" Hermione gushed.

"Yes…wonderful. Happy, happy, happy." Ginny said a weird expression on her face as she stood up and walked slowly from the room.

Looking up at Ginny's retreating back, Ron sighed, shaking his head. "Just great." He thought to himself.

"Ginny seems a bit upset. I'll go talk to her and try and see what's bothering her." Hermione said, following after Ginny.

Standing slowly from the bed, Ron walked to stand behind Fleur who stood next to the window, looking out into the far distance, her back to the room. Stepping behind her, Ron wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Fleur?" He said her name softly and she shivered ever so slightly in his arms.

Fleur closed her eyes, trying to will her fears away before answering him, afraid he would hear it in her voice.

"Fleur look at me. Open your eyes and look at me." Ron pleaded, his hands reaching down for hers, taking them, his thumbs rubbing across her palms.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Hermione followed Ginny down the upstairs hallway and cornered her in a rarely used stairwell leading to the kitchens. "Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked as Ginny tried in vain to open the locked door to the kitchen at the bottom of the stairwell.

Slumping in defeat, Ginny let her forehead rest against the door, her hands falling to her sides. "I'm okay, Hermione. Really, I am. I'm happy for Ron and Fleur but…" She stated, falling silent at the end.

"But you're also feeling a bit jealous and insecure because your relationship with Ron will never be able to become public or legitimate. You can't be his wife even though you are his lover." Hermione rightly guessed as Ginny nodded.

"It isn't fair, Hermione. I would give anything to be Fleur right now. Not just because she is so beautiful, but because she isn't Ron's sister. She has his love, just as much as Luna and I do, but unlike them, I'll never be his wife or the mother of his children. I love Ron more than anything in the world. Sometimes I think I would rather be dead than live without him. It terrifies me how much I've come to love him. To need him. But society would never understand or allow us to be together if they knew." Ginny said, sniffling.

"Do you have any doubts about continuing your relationship with him?" Hermione asked, placing her arms around Ginny, hugging her and rubbing her back as Ginny buried her face in Hermione's shoulder.

Pulling back slightly, Ginny looked startled. "No! Never. I have no doubts or regrets about getting involved with Ron. I could never imagine being involved with anyone but him." She said, looking Hermione in the eye.

"Have you told Ron about your feelings? I know its hard to air these sorts of things but talking about it with him could help soothe your insecurities." Hermione said.

"I've never told him. I know he loves me, but I'm not sure how deep that love runs. He has Luna and Fleur and their relationship started off romantic and passionate from the start. My relationship with Ron started out as…well it wasn't quite how every girl dreams she will meet the love of her life." Ginny said, wiping her eyes.

"I see… But you are happy with him and want to keep this relationship alive?" Hermione asked somewhat stiffly, hugging Ginny again.

"Of course. I'm very happy, Hermione. It may not have started out ideally, but I am very happy being with him." Ginny said, confidently.

"Then you should tell him. Ron may be a bit dense at times, but he will eventually sense the insecurities you're feeling, and he may misunderstand." Hermione said.

"That's true. Ron is a bit dim where emotions are concerned." Ginny said, suppressing a chuckle.

"Too true, but he is getting better," Hermione said, smiling now that Ginny seemed to be cheering up.

"C'mon. Let's get back then." Ginny said, smiling and taking Hermione's hand.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Fleur opened her eyes slowly, seeing Ron's worried expression reflected in the glass panes of the window. Outside, night had fallen, and a series of floating lights dimly illuminated the grounds. Swallowing nervously, she slowly turned in Ron's arms, her back now pressed against the cool glass, her gaze hesitantly meeting Ron's, stunned by the swirling emotions she saw in his eyes.

"Fleur, please talk to me. I love you. Tell me what you're thinking. Do you want this child?" Ron asked, his left hand reaching up to cup her cheek.

"Ron, it's not that I'm not happy or excited about this child. It's just that our relationship is still so new and its only begun to develop. I've just come out of a long-term relationship, with your brother, that ended badly. I'm 20 years old and soon I'm going to be a parent. I'm not sure I'm ready. This certainly isn't where I expected to be at this stage of my life. Not long ago, I imagined this future with Bill. But that didn't work out and I'm worried that my relationship with you may end up falling through as well. I mean it isn't exactly a normal relationship and if things do end badly, how will that affect any children we have?" Fleur said, quietly.

"Fleur, I'm young and I don't have much experience with relationships. I don't have all the answers, nor can I predict how our relationship will turn out, but I do care about you. I can't promise our relationship will have a happily ever after storybook ending, but I can promise that I'll always be there for you and any children we have. I love you and I want to be with you. I'll support you in anything you want to do with your life. If things work out between us that's all well and great. If they don't, we can always try to keep things amicable and I promise to see you and our children well provided for." Ron said, earnestly.

Nodding to herself, Fleur spared him a smile and leaned in, kissing him softly. "Thank you, Ron. It means a lot to know you'll stand by me. I don't know what the future holds for either of us, but I'd like to face it with you. If your offer still stands, I'd love to marry you, Ron. When things settle, of course." Fleur added.

Smiling Ron took the ring box from his pocket and taking Fleur's left hand in his, slipped the ring onto her finger.

Sitting on the bed, Luna watched the entire scene, her mind racing as she tried to sort through her swirling emotions and finally reached a decision of her own. Looking up, she saw Hermione and Ginny standing in the doorway watching the scene as well.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

They stood under the stars in a clearing in the garden, swearing an oath, each pledging loyalty to the coven, and swearing to uphold its secrets. They felt the oath take hold and a magical pulse expanded outwards, enveloping each of them, knocking them to the soft ground, their heads swimming as their minds became aware of a new presence. An entirely new consciousness in the back of their minds. They need only reach out and touch it.

"Merlin. This is so weird." Ron thought to himself, memories of events he didn't recall ever experiencing racing through his mind.

"Wow." Hermione, thought her head spinning.

"Wicked." Ginny thought to herself.

"It feels like my head is full of knargles." Luna thought to herself, her hand clutching her head as her mind tried to adjust to the new memories.

"Mum was right. Being part of a coven really affects the way you think." Fleur thought to herself, looking at the others, sitting around the circle in the soft grass. She was already beginning to sense the emotions of the others in the group, their thoughts too much of a jumble to understand at the moment. That would come later when the bond between them had had a chance to settle. Looking up, she saw Ron gazing around at them with an intensity she never imagined possible. Slowly she began to realize the intense emotion she felt from him was love. "He really does love us all." Fleur thought, her heart beating faster with that realization.

"Incredible. So, this is what it's like being part of a coven. I'll never be alone again." Gabrielle thought to herself. A sense of purpose and belonging developing within her, she turned to look at Hermione. Slowly, it dawned on her that they were now much more deeply connected than they had been before. Smiling she reached out, taking Hermione's hand in hers. Her heart beat faster at the skin contact.

Groaning, Ron slowly looked around the circle. The strange sensation that had been building in his head seemed to be calming down a bit, and slowly he managed to climb to his feet, standing on shaky legs. Regaining his equilibrium, he stood and walked over to each of the girls, checking to make sure they were okay.

Stopping and kneeling next to Hermione, who was slowly coming around herself, he reached out, touching her arm and gasped suddenly as a vision of a naked Hermione, soaking in a tub filled with bubbles filled his mind. Jerking back slightly, he accidentally startled Hermione who was looking at him with a slightly awkward expression. "Err Ron, are you okay?" She asked.

"Um yeah. I'm fine. I err just saw well err it doesn't matter. Anyway, are you okay?" Ron asked, his cheeks crimson, his voice awkward and stammering his reply.

"I'm fine, Ron. Did you err, see something embarrassing?" Hermione asked, looking at him and blushing.

"Err no. Not really. It's fine. I'm really sorry." Ron said, turning a deeper shade of red.

"Ron, we won't have many secrets from each other when the bond is complete. Chances are we will end up seeing awkward or embarrassing things about each other. It's okay if you want to talk. Alright?" Hermione said, trying to ease his discomfort.

"It's nothing serious. I just err well I saw you bathing, is all. I'm sorry." Ron said, looking down at his feet.

"Oh, is that all? It's okay, Ronald. It's a perfectly normal occurrence. Don't be embarrassed. Chances are you'll see much worse." Hermione said.

"Well, okay then. Thanks, Hermione." Ron said, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. Taking his hand, Hermione slowly stood up and went to check on Gabrielle as Ron moved to Ginny first then Luna and Fleur.

Ron slowly reached out, placing a hand on Fleur's shoulder. Instantly, a vision of her alone in a room at what he recognized as Shell cottage filled his mind. Fleur was lying, face down, on a bedspread, crying with her face buried in a pillow.

Instantly, Ron felt a desire to hold and comfort Fleur flood through him, even though he knew the memory was from at least a month or so ago, and the wound had already begun to heal. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around Fleur, kissing her cheek and cuddling her against his chest.

Looking at him awkwardly, Fleur slowly responded, leaning into his embrace while sparing him a confused look. "Err, Ron. Are you alright?" She asked, puzzled by his sudden display of affection.

Shaking his head, he smiled at her. "I love you, Fleur. You're absolutely breathtaking. I worry sometimes that I don't tell you enough. The idea of having a family with you, Fleur, is a bit daunting I'll admit but I am also excited as well." Ron said, cupping her cheek and softly kissing her lips.

Still somewhat surprised, Fleur returned the kiss, giving him another confused look when Ron pulled away and stood to help her to her feet. Nearby, Ginny and Luna stood watching the display between the two. Walking up, Hermione and Gabrielle joined them, both watching Fleur and Ron as well.

Smiling, Hermione held Gabrielle's hand in hers, sharing a brief look with her. Clearing her throat, Ginny looked away and the pair broke apart, Ron standing quickly and helping Fleur to her feet. "Err sorry," Ron muttered, looking away embarrassed.

Hermione shot Ginny a pointed look and Ginny sighed, nodding almost imperceptibly. "It appeared she and Ron would have to talk soon enough." She decided.

"Is everyone alright?" Ron asked, looking around slowly. After they all assured him that they were fine, he led the way inside the manor, heading slowly for the downstairs parlor where they sat down, relaxing and chatting.

Looking at the clock on the wall, Ron heard his stomach rumble. "Taffy." He called.

"Yes, master?" The little elf asked, appearing with a pop.

"Could you bring in some tea and nibblies for us? We missed dinner because of the coven ritual." Ron asked.

"Certainly, master." The elf replied, disappearing. A few minutes later a platter of sandwiches appeared along with a tea service.

Ron waited until the girls had all helped themselves to sandwiches and tea before pouring his own cup and taking a sandwich of his own. The girls spent a little while chatting among themselves, with Ron occasionally contributing before they decided to head to bed for the night.

Tomorrow was Sunday and the last day before they would catch the Hogwarts express. Fleur would be leaving early on Sunday to floo to Hogsmeade and meet with Headmistress McGonagall to discuss her teaching position before the start of term. They had already done their shopping for school with the Delacours during one of their trips to Diagon Alley.

According to McGonagall, as a lord of an ancient and noble house, Ron was entitled to use the private suite of rooms, the Lord's quarters in a rarely used section of Hogwarts. Ron had eagerly accepted the offer, delighted at the prospect of a little privacy during his stay in Hogwarts since it meant more time alone with his girls, as he had taken to thinking of them. It amazed him at times how much he had come to love and depend on Fleur, Luna, and Ginny. They each meant the world to him and he was sure he would go mad if he had to spend an entire term without touching them.

Hermione and Gabrielle headed upstairs to bed, with Fleur and Luna following behind them. Hanging back a bit, Ginny waited until they were out of earshot before turning to face Ron. "Err Ron, can we talk?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Sure. What's up, Gin?" Ron asked, looking at her.

"Do you love me, Ron?" Ginny asked, staring at her hands in her lap.

"Of course I love you, Gin Gin. Why wouldn't I?" Ron asked, looking at her.

"Well, it's just...Ron, I see how you interact with Fleur and Luna and sometimes I feel jealous of them. I know you love them and your relationship with them will raise some questions, but society won't bat too many eyes about your relationship with them. Our relationship, on the other hand, would never be acceptable. Sometimes I worry you'll decide that our relationship isn't worth the trouble of sneaking around." Ginny said quietly, wiping a tear from her eyes.

Moving over to sit beside her, Ron wrapped her in his arms, cuddling her to his chest. "Ginny, I know things didn't start out ideally between us and I'm sorry for how I treated you back then. Forcing you into this wasn't right, but I do love you. I could never bear to live without you. You're mine and I'm yours. I love you, Gin. I'll never let you go. I know things won't be easy for us, but I will never give up on us. I'll do everything in my power to make you happy and assure you every day that I love and cherish you, Gin."

Nodding to herself, Ginny looked up and met his gaze. "So you love me the same as Fleur and Luna? I mean I know I can't officially become your wife or have your children as they can, but you do love me the same, right?" She asked.

"Oh Gin, is that what's been troubling you?" Ron asked, leaning in to kiss her lips. "I'll always love you Gin. Even if we can't get married or have children, I'll love you all the same. You're my girl, Gin. I promise that nothing will change that." Ron said, assuring her.

Feeling better about herself, Ginny smiled, leaning into him, her head resting on Ron's shoulder as he held her. "Thanks, Ron. I love you too." She whispered softly.

They stayed like that for a little while longer before heading upstairs to shower and get ready for bed. They had to get up early the next morning to meet the Delacours who were eager to see how the coven bond turned out and do some last-minute shopping before the start of term.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Stepping out of the floo the next morning, Ron looked around the lobby of the leaky cauldron, spotting the Delacours sitting at a table a short distance away. They crossed the room, walking over and shaking Ron's hand when they spotted him. The girls joined them, one at a time, stepping out of the floo and crossing over to stand next to Ron.

"Hello, girls. How did it go?" Mrs. Delacour asked, wrapping her arms around Fleur and Gabrielle, one at a time, and giving them each a hug.

"Very well, mum," Fleur stated.

"It went great, mum," Gabrielle added, copying Fleur's sentiment.

"That's wonderful, dears." Mrs. Delacour said, sparing her eldest daughter a studying glance before glancing briefly at Ron. Shaking her head, she smiled at her daughters. They talked for a few more minutes before heading out into Diagon Alley to do a bit of shopping. They spent an enjoyable Sunday together, shopping and chatting, stopping briefly for lunch, during which Mrs. Delacour continued to look between Fleur and Ron.

At around 4:30 that afternoon they said their goodbyes and parted ways, the Delacours, including Gabrielle, heading off to their suite of rooms, and Ron and the girls returning to the manor.

TBC

In the next chapter, Ron and the girls set out for the Hogwarts express, Fleur has a talk with her parents and later meets up with Headmistress McGonagall at Hogwarts.


	13. Chapter 13

Previously on Machinations…

How long have you been planning this?" Fleur asked, stepping forward, the ring box in her hand.

"For a while now. I did some research on Wizarding Law, and the lords of noble houses in Wizarding Britain are allowed to take more than one spouse if they are the last living male heir of that house. It's an obscure law that is not in common practice anymore, but it is legal." Ron stated.

Ginny looked at the rings for a moment before seeming to come to a decision. "My answer is yes." She said, smiling.

Striding forward, Luna copied the gesture. "I do love you, Ronald, but I'm not ready for this stage of our relationship just yet. I'm not saying no, just not yet." She said, pulling back, a smile on her face.

Fleur shook her head sadly, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ron. I do care for you, but I'm not sure that it would work." She said, turning away and running out of the room

"We didn't. Ron…it's not Bill's child." Fleur said, looking up at him.

"Then whose child…ohhh. Okay then." Ron said, taking a half step forward into the room before falling flat onto the floor, face first, in a dead faint.

"Ginny seems a bit upset. I'll go talk to her and try and see what's bothering her." Hermione said, following after Ginny.

"I'm happy for Ron and Fleur but…" She stated, falling silent at the end.

"But you're also feeling a bit jealous and insecure because your relationship with Ron will never be able to become public or legitimate. You can't be his wife even though you are his lover." Hermione rightly guessed as Ginny nodded.

They stood under the stars in a clearing in the garden, swearing an oath, each pledging loyalty to the coven, and swearing to uphold its secrets.

"Ron, we won't have many secrets from each other when the bond is complete. Chances are we will end up seeing awkward or embarrassing things about each other." Hermione stated.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Machinations

Chapter 13

They had actually found it. It was all thanks to Harry and Hermione, of course. He wasn't smart enough to figure out the location, but here they were. Unfortunately, the cave-in had split them up, trapping Ron on the wrong side. He wasn't able to save Ginny, and Harry got to be the hero AGAIN! He not only battled and killed a giant, deadly snake but he saved Ginny.

Ginny, his sister, and now so much more. He was amazed at how quickly their relationship changed. Visions of her naked in his arms swimming before him, sneaking out to the barn, trading secret kisses and touches in the dead of night. Ginny, his sweet perfect Ginny.

"Ron. Ron, wake up. We need to get ready. You can't sleep all morning. The Hogwarts Express leaves at 11 am today." Ginny said, shaking him awake.

Groaning, Ron sat up and stretched, the blankets falling down around his waist, revealing a bare, muscled chest. "Alright, alright. I'm up, Gin Gin." He groaned, looking at her, his eyes roving over her. Ginny was dressed in a pair of form-fitting jeans; a maroon jumper and she had her hair pulled back in two long ponytails.

Grinning, Ron reached for her, pulling her down against him, his lips claiming hers. Ginny let out a startled gasp but quickly returned the kiss, pulling away hesitantly.

"Ron, you need to get dressed and get downstairs. The Delacours will be here soon, remember? We're all going to have breakfast together and spend a little while visiting before we leave for the platform together." Ginny said, sitting on her heels on the bed.

"Breakfast can wait a few minutes. First, you need to take care of a problem for me." Ron said, smirking up at her from where he lay, propped up on his left elbow.

Gaping, Ginny stared at him, completely speechless for a moment. "Breakfast can wait? Did I hear him right?" She thought to herself. "Um, what prob…oh Ron seriously?" She said, watching as Ron kicked off the blanket revealing his cock tenting the fabric of his boxers.

"Get to it, Gin Gin," Ron said, smirking as he tugged his boxers down, revealing his cock, hard and throbbing.

"But Ron, what if someone comes up? We're short on time. The Delacours…oomph. Ouch, Ron, that hurts." Ginny said, rubbing her arm.

Smirking, Ron set his wand on the side table and nodded towards his erection. "Get to it, Gin Gin." He said imperiously.

Shaking her head and sighing, Ginny muttered under her breath but leaned down, stroking his cock with one hand, slowly jacking the shaft as her free hand cupped and played with his balls.

"Mm, that's better, Gin Gin," Ron mumbled, his right hand settling on the back of her head, fingers tangling in the few loose strands of her hair.

Glaring up at him, Ginny slowly licked up and down the shaft, her wet, velvet tongue teasing the sensitive underside of his shaft before flicking across the tip, lapping up a droplet of pre-cum leaking from the slit.

Moaning loudly, Ron's hips bucked, pushing upwards softly, silently encouraging Ginny to take him into her mouth. "Merlin's beard. You're so good at this, Gin." He muttered.

"He is such a prat. It's a good thing I love him." A voice said, in the back of Ron's mind. Shaking his head, Ron looked around, trying to figure out where the voice came from. With a start, he realized he was hearing what Ginny was thinking at that moment. "I love you too, Gin Gin." He thought to himself, focusing on the voice he heard in his mind.

Surprised, Ginny paused, looking up at him, a blush tinting her cheeks as he smirked at her. Returning to her task, Ginny took him back into her mouth, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked him harder, making him moan louder, his fingers gripping her ponytail as he thrust roughly in and out of her mouth, the head of his cock ramming against the entrance to her throat.

With a quick movement, he thrust his hips hard against her face, making Ginny gag slightly as the head of his cock popped into her throat. After a few seconds to adjust, Ginny began deepthroating his cock, her lips and tongue working his shaft, driving Ron crazy with lust.

His head spinning, Ron thrust frantically into her mouth and throat, his hips arching off the bed, as he moaned her name loudly, his cock pulsing, swelling in her throat, spurting rope after rope of hot cum down her gullet into her belly before collapsing onto the bed, breathing heavily, his brow glistening slightly with the sweat of his exertion, his cock softening and slipping from Ginny's mouth as he reached down, tugging her up into his arms, a satisfied grin on his face as he held her.

Smiling, Ron cuddled Ginny against his chest, his fingers reaching up to cup her cheek as he kissed the crown of her head. "I love you, Gin Gin." He whispered softly, his fingers toying with a strand of her hair.

Blushing, Ginny lay with her head on Ron's chest, her eyes gazing up at him as he held her. "I love you too, Ron." She sighed, sitting up slowly.

"If you two are done, you need to hurry up and get ready. The Delacours just fire called. They'll be here in twenty minutes." Hermione said, standing in the doorway.

Nodding, Ron glanced at her, his arms still around Ginny's shoulders. "I got it. I'll be down soon. Thanks, Hermione." He said.

"See you downstairs then," Hermione said, turning and leaving with Ginny following a few steps behind her.

Ron sighed, standing and kicking off his boxers. Turning, he walked to the wardrobe and selected an outfit. He settled on a maroon t-shirt with a golden Gryffindor lion on the right breast, a pair of red boxers with the Chudley cannons logo and matching socks, and a pair of jeans. Laying them on the bed, he turned, heading for the private master bath to shower, shave and brush his teeth and hair.

Fifteen minutes later, Ron walked downstairs to the parlor where the girls were sitting around, waiting for the Delacours to arrive.

"Thank heavens. You made it just in time, Ronald. Honestly." Hermione said, shaking her head and sighing.

"Sorry, Hermione. I was a little occupied with some things but I'm here now." Ron said, awkwardly.

"Yes, we know exactly what you were up too, Ronald. We have a small degree of access to each other's thoughts now thanks to our bond." Luna said, smirking at him over a copy of the latest Quibbler issue.

"So…so you know that I was err…" Ron stammered, blushing.

"Hard at work doing what you do so well? Yes, we do." Luna said, giggling.

Nearby, Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione stood to the side, sighing.

"Enough, all of you. My family will be here any minute." Fleur said, catching their attention.

Just then the flames in the fireplace turned green and shot up as the first to arrive, Mr. Delacour stepped out of the fireplace, with a black school trunk in tow. He stood aside to make room as his wife and daughter followed quickly behind him.

Mrs. Delacour stepped out and walked towards her husband, whispering a few words in his ear before heading towards Fleur, leaving her husband to stare at them with a somewhat curious expression on his face.

Gabrielle, flushed with excitement over the idea of a new school, made a beeline for Hermione, spouting off a rapid series of questions about Hogwarts, the train and what she could expect upon arriving, with Hermione trying desperately to keep up.

Meanwhile, Fleur experienced a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach as her mother fixed her with a pointed look and asked to speak with her alone, in a more secluded area.

Nervously, Fleur led her mother out of the parlor and upstairs to her bedroom on the second floor. "Um, w…what did you want to talk about, mum?" She asked nervously, turning to face her mother.

Fixing her daughter with a pointed look, she spoke softly. "How long have you been sleeping with him?"

Gaping, Fleur tried to think of something to say. "Err, what do you mean? Sleeping with who?" She asked, near panic-stricken.

"Don't give me that, Fleur. The young Weasley boy. His scent is all over you." Mrs. Delacour said, shaking her head.

"How did you…? Does dad know?" Fleur said, collapsing on the bed, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Not yet. But he will find out eventually. I assume you plan to keep the child?" Her mother asked, looking at her.

"Wh…of course I do," Fleur said, shocked that her mother would even ask.

"Well, at least he is a Veela. Small miracles." Mrs. Delacour said, sitting beside her daughter and taking her hand in his. "Have you told the boy about the baby yet?" She continued, in a softer voice.

"He knows," Fleur said, glancing at her mother.

"I see he gave you a ring. It looks just like the one that Miss Lovegood is wearing." Mrs. Delacour gave her daughter a questioning look.

"It's a long story," Fleur said, sighing.

"And his sister? I assume she is his sister." Mrs. Delacour stated.

"I…err…um well..." Fleur stammered.

"These English wizards have a habit of marrying cousins to keep their bloodlines pure. I suppose a sister isn't too much of a stretch, not that I approve, of course. Do you love him?" Mrs. Delacour asked, looking her daughter in the eye.

"Of course I do. I…I have no regrets about being with him." Fleur said, regaining her confidence in the face of her mother's intimidating gaze.

Nodding to herself, she took a deep breath and spoke again.

Half an hour later, Fleur and her mother entered the parlor. Ron gave her a questioning look and Fleur shook her head.

"Why don't we retire to the dining hall now? Breakfast is ready. I hope you're all hungry." Ron said awkwardly, trying to ease some of the tension he sensed was building between Fleur, her mother and himself.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Later that morning they said goodbye to Fleur who took the floo to Hogsmeade, to meet up with Headmistress McGonagall while they set out for Platform 9 ¾ and the Hogwarts Express.

After casting featherlight charms on each of their trunks, Ron took the lead, flooing first to the Platform so he could help each of the girls, with their now considerably lighter trunks, out of the floo and onto the Platform proper.

The scarlet steam engine loomed large as they said their goodbyes to the Delacours, and boarded the train, ready to start a brand-new year at Hogwarts.

Leading the way down the cramped walkway, Ron and the girls searched for an empty compartment. As they walked, Ginny and Hermione pointed out various people to Gabrielle, waving at some as they did so, and blatantly ignoring others in the case of Hermione and one Cormac McLaggen; memories of their encounter at the Slug Club party still fresh in her mind.

They managed to find the last empty compartment at the end of the train and after opening the door and setting his trunk down, Ron helped the girls stow their school trunks up on the luggage racks before sitting down on the spot closest to the door, Ginny and Luna sitting to his left with Hermione and Gabrielle taking the seat opposite.

Luna pulled out a copy of the Quibbler, disappearing into her own little world while Ginny talked animatedly with Hermione and Gabrielle, leaving Ron alone to his musings as the train got underway, leaving the station and setting off on the long voyage to Hogwarts.

"Bloody hell. This summer started out so boring and now look at me." He thought to himself. "He and Ginny were now lovers and more, he was engaged to Fleur, his brother's soon to be ex-wife and Luna. He had given Ginny a ring as well, and even though they could never be officially and publicly wed, he was secretly planning a special, private ceremony for the two of them. And most shocking of all, he was going to be a father. Fleur was expecting his child. Blimey, a child."

Ron was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Hermione calling his name. But he did notice the hard elbow to his ribs as Ginny brought him back to reality. "Ouch, Bloody hell, Gin. What was that for?" He said, angrily.

"Ron, pay attention. Hermione's trying to talk to you." Ginny said, sighing.

"Oh. Sorry, Hermione. What were you saying?" He asked, somewhat abashed.

"Ron, we have to leave for our patrols. As prefects, we have to patrol the train on the way to Hogwarts." Hermione said, standing.

"Oh right. I forgot. At least we don't have to deal with Malfoy this year." He grumbled, standing up and opening the carriage door for Hermione before following her out into the corridor.

"Thanks, Ron," Hermione said, sparing him a glance. "He's changed a lot in the last few weeks. He's not as lazy as he was before, his table manners are starting to improve, he's not nearly as thick headed as he used to be. He's even more polite, well most of the time anyway." She mused, leading the way down the length of the train.

They peaked in on a few compartments here and there, making sure nobody was doing anything they shouldn't and stopped once, with Hermione scolding a few second years who were trying to frighten a first-year boy with stories of what to expect at Hogwarts. Shaking her head at Ron who stared longingly at the snack trolley as they passed it, they made their way to the end of the train. They were turning to head back when the train suddenly lurched to a stop.

Along the train, compartment doors opened, and heads poked out.

"What's going on?"

"Are we there already?"

"Why have we stopped?"

Suddenly a feeling of dread crept over the end of the train, growing stronger as the seconds past. The lights extinguished, and the temperature dropped so low that Ron could see his breath misting before his eyes. Suddenly painful memories of Fleur's rejection crept into his mind and he began to feel as though he would never be happy again. With this feeling came a sudden realization and dawning horror.

They had experienced this very same thing before. "Oh, Sweet Merlin. Dementors…" Ron said, drawing his wand. Suddenly the door at the far end of the train slid open and five dark, hooded figures glided onto the train. Loud screams and terrified cries echoed across the train as the Dementors made their presence known.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Fleur stepped out of the Floo at Hogsmeade station, and slowly made her way along the path to the gates of Hogwarts. Pausing she wondered what she was supposed to do when she got there but to her surprise when she approached the gates, she saw Headmistress McGonagall standing just beyond the gate waiting for her.

"Miss Delacour?" McGonagall spoke looking her over.

"Oui. That's me." Fleur spoke, unsure how to properly greet the woman before her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said, as the gates swung inward to admit her. Stepping across the ward line, Fleur felt a slight tingle down her spine and turned to see McGonagall watching her carefully with her wand pointed at her. Seeming satisfied, she lowered her wand and smiled.

"My apologies, Miss Delacour. In these dark times, we are forced to take certain precautions." McGonagall stated, not unkindly, leading the way up the walk to Hogwarts castle as the gates swung closed behind them.

"It's fine, Headmistress. I understand completely." Fleur said as she walked alongside McGonagall.

"Oh please, dear. Call me Minerva." McGonagall said, smiling as the doors to the Entrance Hall swung open to admit them.

"Very well. If you insist, Head…err Minerva." Fleur said.

"I wanted to meet with you in person to learn a little bit more about you and brief you on what to expect at Hogwarts. I also wanted to get an idea of your basic lesson plan for the semester." McGonagall said leading the way up the staircase to her office on the first floor.

They settled in talking about this and that while drinking tea that a house elf had brought in when Fleur began to feel uneasy. A voice in the back of her mind screaming, visions of Hermione leading Ron down the length of the train, their wands were drawn, and Ginny and Luna standing in front of her sister, wands drawn facing the door of their compartment.

Near panic-stricken, Fleur turned to face McGonagall. "Somethings very wrong, Headmistress. The students on the train are in danger." She said, turning deathly pale.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"Ron, snap out of it. We have to do something." Hermione said, grabbing his hand and dragging him down the corridor. They drew their wands, focusing on happy memories as they tried to cast a Patronus. Ron drew on memories of Ginny in his arms when she accepted his ring, memories of Fleur telling him about her pregnancy, and Luna teaching him about crumple-horned snorcacks. "Expecto Patronum!" He bellowed, his Patronus shooting out of his wand.

"A shining ethereal stallion charged down the length of the train accompanied by Hermione's otter. The stallion reared up on its hind legs and brought it's hooves down hard on the first dementor it encountered. There was a loud shriek and the dementor exploded, the ashes of a tattered black cloak falling to the floor. The remaining four dementors who had begun to move towards the nearest compartments, turned to face the Patronus just as the compartment door nearest to them slid open, a second Stallion joining Ron's followed by a hare, which joined forces to quickly drive off the dementors who turned tail and fled out the door.

The lights flickered on again and the temperature slowly returned to normal. Ron moved towards the door, intending to close it when a voice outside the train yelled, and instinctively, he ducked down. A wise move as the light sconce on the wall directly behind his head exploded in a shower of glass.

Dodging and rolling out of the way, Ron cast a stunning spell out the open compartment door.

"Protego." A harsh voice called out and two masked death eaters slowly crept into view, just beyond the train doors.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, standing as he and Hermione faced the door, preparing to face off against the two death eaters, with Ginny and Luna standing in the doorway of the compartment, moving to assist them, their wands all were drawn.

Ron wasn't sure what was worse. The fact that dementors and death eaters were attacking the train or the fact that Ginny and Luna had put themselves in harm's way as they stepped out of the safety of their compartment to help fight off the death eaters.

The death eater who had entered the train first, raised his wand, pointing it at Ginny and suddenly Ron saw red. The idea that anyone would dare try to harm his mate filled him with a blinding rage and suddenly he began to transform, his face taking on the partial appearance of a sharp-beaked bird, as two large wings tore out of the back of his shirt, leaving it a mangled ruin as he let out a sharp, angry cry and charged. His hands outstretched, two large flaming balls of scarlet and orange fire shooting forth, and slamming into the two death eaters who collapsed screaming in agony, the flames dancing across their skin before falling silent, their bodies still as the flames died down, Ron collapsing to the floor of the train in a dead faint.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Previously on Machinations…

"Ron, we have to leave for our patrols. As prefects, we have to patrol the train on the way to Hogwarts." Hermione said, standing.

"Oh right. I forgot. At least we don't have to deal with Malfoy this year." He grumbled, standing up and opening the carriage door for Hermione before following her out into the corridor.

"What's going on?"

"Are we there already?"

"Why have we stopped?"

Suddenly a feeling of dread crept over the end of the train, growing stronger as the seconds past. The lights extinguished, and the temperature dropped so low that Ron could see his breath misting before his eyes. Suddenly painful memories of Fleur's rejection crept into his mind and he began to feel as though he would never be happy again. With this feeling came a sudden realization and dawning horror.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Machinations

Chapter 14

Dimly he heard voices speaking around him, felt a pair of hands gripping his arms, the murky blackness and misery fading away as he slowly came around.

Ron let out a quiet groan and slowly opened his eyes. Directly above him were a luggage rack and a dark red ceiling. "Urgh, my head. What happened? What's going on?" He muttered weakly.

The pair of hands on his arms moved and reached out to wrap around him, as a solid body impacted with his own. "Ron, thank Merlin. I was so worried about you. We all were." Ginny said, hugging him, her ample tits crushed against his face as she held him.

Slowly becoming aware of his surroundings, Ron quickly took advantage of the confusion to burrow his face deeper into Ginny's cleavage, a sly grin on his face.

Sitting back with a frown, Ginny sighed and shook her head. "You really had us worried, but I can see now that you're fine you prat." She said, unable to hide the relief in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Gin Gin. I didn't mean to worry you. What happened? Is everyone okay? Where are the death eaters and the dementors?" Ron asked, sitting up and looking around. He was laid out on one of the long benches in their compartment, the girls crowding around him.

The girls exchanged a brief look before turning back to face him. Swallowing before replying, Hermione was the first to speak. "Err, Ron, how much do you remember?" She asked hesitantly.

"Not much really. All I remember is seeing that death eater pointing his wand at Ginny, and I was suddenly so angry. Then…nothing at all." Ron said, glancing at their nervous faces.

"Ron the death eaters are dead. You killed them." Hermione stated slowly, unsure of how he would react.

"Dead? I k…killed them both? What? How?" Ron said, a touch overcome. "How could I kill someone and not even remember doing it?" He wondered to himself. He felt little to no sympathy for them. They had been trying to kill his mate. But to actually kill someone, to end a human life…this was a new and terrifying concept for him. He wasn't entirely sure how to handle it.

"Ron, you transformed, at least partially. Your veela magic was forcefully awakened and in your blind rage you used fire to kill them." Gabrielle said, speaking up for the first time, a little awestruck. She had never met a male veela before, and the fact that one was so close to her was a bit of a shock. Unlike the others, she wasn't fully aware of Ron's veela nature though she had started to suspect something was amiss and this caused her to see him in a new light.

Ron swallowed his mind racing, many conflicting emotions tearing through him. A knock on the door caught their attention and made them look up. Madam Amelia Bones stood in the doorway to the compartment, taking in the scene before speaking. "I was wondering if I might have a few moments of your time, Lord Dumbledore if you're feeling up to it of course." She said, not so much a request as a polite demand.

"Err, um sure. What can I do for you?" Ron asked nervously.

"I've spoken with most of the students who witnessed the attack personally. I understand that five dementors and two death eater handlers attacked the train." Madam Bones stated, glancing around.

"Err yes. That's correct." Ron said.

"And you and your companions here drove them off? I understand one of your patronuses was powerful enough to destroy a dementor and drive the other four off, is that right?" Madam Bones said, looking at him appraisingly.

"Err yes, I did," Ron said.

"And then when the death eaters attacked, you…err transformed and killed them. Can you explain how you did that?" Madam Bones said, glancing around at the nervous faces of the girls.

"Err, well you see…um, I err…" Ron stammered unsure of exactly what or how much to tell her.

"Ron is a male veela. He partially transformed when the death eaters tried to kill his sister." Gabrielle replied confidently, without any reservation.

"I see. Well, that's all I needed for now. I'll be in touch." Madam Bones said, briefly pausing to consider Ron for a moment.

Madam Bones opened the door to the compartment, about to leave before turning back. "Oh and Lord Dumbledore. Thank you for taking quick action. My niece Susan was in a compartment near the entrance the dementors used to board the train." She continued in a less formal tone, the barest hint of a smile on her face before it was gone.

With that, Madam Bones left the compartment, closing the door behind her. A few minutes later the train began moving again, with two teams of Aurors stationed aboard to prevent further trouble.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

The remainder of the trip to Hogwarts passed quietly, with Ron sitting in the seat by the window, watching the scenery outside, Ginny's head on his shoulder as she talked with Hermione and Gabrielle.

Shortly after the train got underway again, there was a knock at the door and the witch who pushed the snack trolley stood in the doorway. "Anything off the trolley dears? Chocolate is free of charge, considering the recent events." She said, smiling.

The girls eagerly selected an assortment of snacks and Ron paid for them, helping himself to a chocolate frog as he sat back down. Taking the card out of the package, he nearly choked on his candy, a small pang of jealousy stirring in him. "Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, Chosen one to defeat the dark lord, Triwizard Competitor."

"Bloody hell. He even has his own chocolate frog card." Ron thought with a mental sigh. With the support of his mates, he was beginning to overcome his insecurities and jealousy, but old habits are often hard to break.

Luna was once again absorbed in the Quibbler magazine, completely lost to the world. The staff her father had hired to publish the Quibbler had kept things running smoothly since his passing. After her father's death, the ownership had passed to Luna, who occasionally met with the new Editor to discuss various issues with the company.

Slowly, the scenery outside the window began to change as they neared the Hogsmeade station. "Ron if you wouldn't mind, we'd like to change into our Hogwarts robes," Ginny said, looking at him.

"Hmm, oh err yes sorry. I'll just wait outside then." Ron said, cheeks reddening as he stood and headed towards the compartment door, closing it and standing guard as the girls changed.

A short time later the compartment door slid open behind him and Gabrielle poked her head out, smiling, dressed in plain black school robes. "You can come in now, Ron." She said, stepping aside to make room for him.

Inside the girls were all dressed in their school robes and sitting comfortably on the benches in the compartment, grinning up at him. "You'd better get changed as well, Ron," Hermione said, from her spot beside Gabrielle.

Nodding, Ron turned to reach into his luggage, pulling out a set of Gryffindor dress robes that were folded neatly and laying on top. Turning back around, he noticed that none of the girls had moved from their seats.

Swallowing, Ron spoke. "Um, aren't you going to wait outside so I can get changed?" Ron asked, as the girls sat staring at him, smirks on their faces.

"Why? We've all seen you without your clothes before, Ron. Well except for Gabrielle that is." Luna said, smiling serenely.

"B…but I…" Ron stammered, clutching his robes to his chest.

"Hurry up, Ron. We'll be at Hogwarts soon." Hermione pointed out, grinning broadly.

Nodding to himself, Ron slowly turned to face away from them, his hands working slowly to remove his clothes. "They're not here. They're not here. It's just you alone. You're not getting undressed in a public place, in front of four girls." He thought to himself as he pulled his shirt on over his head and fastened his trousers before slipping his Hogwarts robes on over them.

Behind him the girls smiled, staring appreciatively as they watched him pull on his school clothes. Turning back around, Ron faced them, his cheeks crimson to match his hair as he stuffed his casual wear into his trunk and sat, looking down at his feet as the girls whispered quietly to themselves.

Finally, the train rolled to a stop in Hogsmeade station and Ron stood, intending on heading for the door to escape his discomfort as quickly as he could when he remembered that they would all be sharing a carriage ride to the castle. Groaning, he pulled open the door, stepping aside as the girls filed past him, smirking as they exited the train.

Selecting a carriage, Ron gave the girls a hand before joining them, muttering under his breath as they continued to smirk and whisper. Thankfully, the ride to Hogwarts was short and they were filing into the great hall and taking seats at the Gryffindor table, except for Luna who was seated at the Ravenclaw table, and Gabrielle who waited in the entrance hall with the first years to be sorted.

Ron sat down between Hermione and Ginny and sighed, looking around the table. So many faces were missing from the table this year. With the war raging, many families had fled abroad, seeking refuge from the chaos in Britain.

The doors to the great hall opened and a short stream of first years students were led inside by Professor Flitwick, the deputy headmaster. Only six new students this year not including Gabrielle. Two were sorted into Hufflepuff, one into Slytherin, two into Ravenclaw and the last into Gryffindor. Finally, it was Gabrielle's turn. She sat on the stool and placed the hat over her head. Several minutes passed before the hat finally called out, "Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers and Gabrielle crossed the hall, sitting next to Hermione who scooted down to make room for her. As Filch, the caretaker cleared away the hat and stool McGonagall stood and raised her hands for silence. Gradually, the whispering and conversation died down and McGonagall began to speak.

"Welcome to another exciting year at Hogwarts. A few quick announcements before the start of term feast.

Firstly, I would like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest on the grounds is off limits to all students.

Secondly, due to the chaos occurring outside these walls, security at Hogwarts has been tightened. Anyone entering or leaving the grounds is subject to search at the discretion of the Staff. Along with that, any items that are deemed to be unsafe will be confiscated.

Thirdly, magic is not to be used in the corridors and nobody is to be allowed outside their Houses after curfew. Anyone violating these rules will be punished.

Finally, I'd like to introduce our new defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Fleur Delacour." McGonagall finished, gesturing for her to stand.

Ron smiled and cheered along with the others as Fleur stood briefly before taking her seat again.

Finally and to Ron's relief the food appeared, and everyone began to dig in, loading their plates. Ron was loading his plate with roast beef and mashed potatoes when he felt a hand in his lap under the table. Turning to Ginny he was about to whisper quiet encouragement to her when he noticed with a start that both her hands were above the table. Confused, he turned to see Gabrielle flashing him a cheeky grin before the hand disappeared from his lap and she dug into her food with gusto, occasionally whispering with Hermione to her left.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he dug into his dinner. When dessert appeared Ron helped himself to the peach cobbler as the hand appeared again on his lap, rubbing his cock through the fabric of his trousers.

Closing his eyes, he focused on Gabrielle through their mental link. "What on earth are you doing. Gabrielle?" He asked, on edge.

"Shh. Not now. Later. Eat your dessert. People are staring at us." Came the reply.

"Ron, Ron are you okay?" Dean asked, startling him.

"Um yeah, of course. Why do you ask?" Ron said, snapping back to reality.

"Well, you kind of zoned out there for a minute with your spoon in front of your face," Dean said, glancing at him.

"Oh, um I'm fine. Just got distracted for a moment." Ron mumbled.

"If you say so," Dean muttered before turning to face Ginny. "Hey, Ginny. I was wondering if maybe we could give things another go. I'm really sorry for how we ended things last time." He continued.

Startled, Ginny quickly glanced at Ron whose head had spun in Dean's direction, a furious glare on his face. "I don't think so. I'm sort of involved with someone else and its gotten serious." She said, politely before returning to her pudding.

"Oh, of course. I understand." Dean said, frowning slightly and looking back at his plate.

When the food had been cleared away, McGonagall stood and spoke again. "Now that dinner is concluded its time for our prefects to escort the students to their common rooms. Classes begin tomorrow morning. Sleep well." She said, as Hermione stood, leading the Gryffindor students towards their dorms as the prefects from the other houses did the same with their housemates. Ron had stood and was about to follow when Professor Flitwick spoke beside him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley. As the lord of an Ancient and Noble House, you are entitled to use one of the suites in the Lord's quarters. Headmistress McGonagall has instructed me to escort you there if that is your desire." Professor Flitwick spoke.

"Yes, of course. That would be wonderful. Thank you, Professor." Ron said, following the diminutive professor from the hall.

Professor Flitwick led Ron up the winding staircase to an unused wing on the second floor near the library. Stopping in front of a statue of a warrior with a sword at his hip, Professor Flitwick spoke. "Good evening, Godric. Headmistress McGonagall has granted Lord Weasley Dumbledore the use of this suite for his remaining time at Hogwarts."

The marble statue's eyes swiveled down to look at Professor Flitwick. "Of course, Professor. It would be my honor." The statue of Godric Gryffindor stepped down from its platform revealing a hidden door which Flitwick opened before gesturing for Ron to enter.

Stepping into the room, the lights flickered on instantly revealing a small common room with a sofa and two stuffed armchairs situated around a coffee table. The floor was lined with a thick, soft carpet. Nearby was a large empty fireplace, which he was informed was not fully connected to the floo network, though he could still use it to make fire calls.

Along the wall to the left was a desk and chair as well as a medium sized bookshelf lined with dusty texts and a door leading to a loo for guests further down. On the far wall was a large window that looked out over the Great Lake and a small guest room. Beside the window, Pig's roost had been set up, so he could come and go as needed. To the right was the master bedroom with private attached bath.

Impressed, Ron mentally cheered at his good fortune before turning to Flitwick who cleared his throat.

"Your belongings have already been brought up. Your trunk is in the master bedroom. Before you go to sleep, you should set up a new password with the statue of Gryffindor who guards your suite, so you can control who comes and goes. Nobody will be able to enter the suite without your password. This includes the school professors, with the exception of the Headmistress and me as deputy headmaster. Naturally, we shall announce ourselves before entering, out of respect for your privacy." Flitwick finished.

"I will. Thank you, Professor." Ron said, smiling.

"You're very welcome. However, this does not mean you may ignore your house altogether. You are still expected to visit the Gryffindor tower from time to time." Flitwick finished before turning to go.

Ron nodded and waited until he had departed before heading outside and checking the hallway before addressing the statue of Godric Gryffindor. "Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if I could adjust the password for my suite." He said, awkwardly.

"Certainly, young master. What would you like to use as your password?" The statue asked.

Thinking for a moment, Ron smirked and spoke. "Fortuna's darling."

"Very well. Your password is now set." The statue stated as Ron entered his suite and the door closed behind him.

Stretching and yawning, Ron kicked off his shoes and left them by the door before walking across the plush carpet towards his bedroom. Flicking on the bedroom light he shed his clothes and headed for the bathroom to shower before bed.

When he came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, he stopped short. Sprawled across his bed, Fleur smiled up at him, dressed in one of his shirts and her underwear.

Grinning, Ron crossed the room and sat beside her on the bed. "Wow. Now, this is a welcome surprise. Err. Not that I'm complaining, but how exactly did you get inside? Flitwick said that nobody could enter." Ron said, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her against his chest.

"Veela magic is different than human magic. We can pass through human-made anti-apparition wards." Fleur said before leaning in and kissing him.

"Absolutely fabulous." Ron thought to himself happily as he returned her kiss.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Machinations

Chapter 15

Ron eagerly kissed Fleur, his left hand on the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair as his right hand settled on her hip, slowly moving up, teasing and caressing before settling on her breasts, fingers teasing one of her nipples through her shirt, a quiet moan escaping her lips as Ron pulled away, breathless, and gazed into her eyes.

Flushed, Fleur smiled at him, her hands tugging away the towel around his waist, fingers closing around his shaft, stroking him until he hardened, his cock erect and throbbing against her palm as she jacked him off at a tortuously slow pace.

Ron sat back on his heels, eyes closed, moaning softly as his cock twitched in her palm, his hands moving to play with Fleur's breasts through her shirt, his fingers flicking her nipples through the fabric as he bucked his hips urgently against Fleur's hand.

Giggling, Fleur leaned down, wrapping her lips around the head of his cock making Ron gasp, his fingers tangling in her hair as Fleur bobbed her head up and down on his erection. Suddenly, a quiet moan and the sound of shuffling feet in the doorway made them both look up, Ron let out a little whine as his cock slipped out of Fleur's mouth.

In the doorway, illuminated by the dim lighting, Gabrielle stood watching them, her nightdress tugged up, the fingers of her left hand teasing the crotch of her panties. Startled, Ron quickly reached for the towel, covering himself as Fleur giggled.

"Took you long enough to get here. I've been waiting. Where's Hermione? I thought you two were coming together." Fleur said, glancing at her sister.

"She was held up by prefect duties. I'll bring her along shortly." Gabrielle said, smiling.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Ron asked confused.

"Hermione and I were hoping to spend some time alone together. We were hoping we could borrow your guestroom. You don't mind, do you?" Gabrielle asked, flashing him a cute little smile.

"Err, well I suppose not. Just as long as you keep the noise down." Ron said awkwardly.

"Thanks, Ron. I'll leave you two alone then." Gabrielle said, closing the bedroom door and walking away.

Sighing, Ron flopped down on the bed beside Fleur. "Well, that's a bit of a mood breaker." He groaned.

Curling up beside him Fleur grinned, wrapping her hand around his cock, pumping the shaft. "It doesn't have to be." She purred.

"Fleur we can't do it now. Hermione and your sister are in the other room. What if they walk in on us?" Ron whispered, embarrassed.

"If it bothers you, we can ward the door, love," Fleur whispered, her hand pumping his shaft which was once again hard despite his protests.

Unable to think of an adequate response, Ron moaned as Fleur straddled his hips, reaching down she pulled the crotch of her panties to the side and guided him to her slick entrance before lowering herself onto him as he moaned her name, his hands settling on her hips as she began to ride him, her eyes half-lidded with lust as he bottomed out inside her.

Rocking her hips, she rode him hard and fast, her pelvis rising up until only his tip remained inside her before dropping back down his length, spearing herself on his cock as she moaned, her head thrown back, long platinum blonde hair dancing across her back and shoulders as her body shook through her orgasm.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Peeking through the crack in the partially open door, Hermione stared on in awe, watching the pair on the bed, lost in their pleasure. "Wow." She whispered.

"See? Was I lying?" Gabrielle whispered softly into her ear, her chest pressed against Hermione's back, her left hand toying with Hermione's breasts under her nightshirt as the right moved down to stroke her through her undergarments.

"It certainly is hot," Hermione whispered quietly, suppressing a moan as her nipples hardened to stiff nubs between Gabrielle's fingers.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"So I was right then? It is a Horcrux." Arthur asked as they stared down at the diadem laying on the table between them.

"Yes. It certainly is. Well done, Arthur. We're one step closer now." Kingsley said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"So how many is that now?" Tonks asked looking around the table.

"Well let's see. There's the diary that Malfoy planted in Ginny's cauldron. I destroyed that in the chamber. The ring that Dumbledore destroyed. The locket that Umbridge had. We have the diadem now. The one in my forehead. And Snape thinks that Voldemort's familiar, Nagini, is another. We'll get to her when we go after the Dark Lord. So that's six." Harry said.

"But you said Dumbledore suspected the dark lord made seven Horcruxes, right?" Remus spoke.

"True. Dumbledore thinks that the seventh is the Hufflepuff cup, but he had no idea where to find it." Harry said, sighing.

"Well, You Know Who gave the diary to Malfoy to guard. Maybe he gave the cup to one of his other death eaters." Tonks mused.

"Maybe so, but the question is which one." Kingsley sighed.

"Well he wouldn't trust it to just anyone, would he? It would have to be one of his inner circle." Harry said.

"Well, most of his inner circle have been captured or killed. Malfoy is in hiding with the Dark Lord, but we have his Horcrux. The Carrows were captured by your friend and his sister. That still amazes me. No offense, Arthur. Snape is working for us as a spy in Voldemort's ranks. And Xenophilius killed Bellatrix." Kingsley said.

"Then we start with them. We need to get the Ministry to search their houses and ask the Goblins to search their vaults. That shouldn't be too hard should it?" Harry asked looking around the table.

"I could ask Bill to speak to the Goblins on our behalf. They might listen to him." Arthur suggested, uncertainly.

"Excellent. That just leaves their houses to be searched." Harry said, feeling more assured.

The others fumbled awkwardly for a few minutes before Kingsley took it upon himself to say what they were all thinking. "In order to search their houses we need a member of the Wizengamot to sign a search order, but with the current climate, most of the Wizengamot would be unwilling since it could be seen as openly opposing the Dark Lord. People are terrified. They don't want their families to be singled out for punishment."

"What about Ron then? Didn't you say he has Dumbledore's hereditary seat on the Wizengamot? He could authorize a search order, couldn't he?" Harry asked, looking from Arthur to Kingsley.

"Well I suppose it is technically possible," Arthur said.

"Excellent. Then we owl Ron, ask him to meet with us somewhere and get him to authorize the search order." Harry said, beaming.

"I'll do that now then. Is it alright if I borrow Hedwig?" Kingsley asked, drawing a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill from a drawer at a nearby table.

"Certainly. I'm sure she'd be grateful for the work. I don't send her out enough." Harry said, sitting down.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Ron woke early the next the next morning to a pleasant sensation. Propping himself up on his elbows, he saw a body under the blankets around his waist, a few strands of platinum blond hair peeking out from the edge of the blanket as the head bobbed against his groin.

Smiling he placed his hand on top of her head, forcing her to take a few more inches of his cock into her mouth, his hips arching upwards as he thrust himself in and out of her mouth, moaning until his cock twitched and spewed his cum into her mouth. Collapsing back against the pillow, panting hard, his eyes closed, Ron smiled. "Wow, Fleur. That was an incredible way to wake up. Much better than that horrid alarm clock."

"Thanks, Ron. But my sister went to her quarters to get ready for the day. I told her I'd wake you up, so you didn't oversleep on your first day back." Gabrielle said, crawling out from under the blanket, a thin trail of his semen dribbling from the corner of her mouth as she stood from the bed and left the room, leaving him stunned and speechless.

"Bloody hell. What on earth just happened?" He wondered to himself when the door closed behind her. Mindlessly, he stood and walked to the bathroom, his mind a million miles away, his body on autopilot as he stood in front of the sink brushing his teeth.

Walking out of the bathroom, Ron quickly dressed and pulled on his trainers before leaving his suite and heading downstairs to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Starting down the hall on the second-floor corridor, Ron passed a pair of whispering second years who paused in their conversation to stare at him before continuing their conversation as he passed them.

The grand staircase shifted as he stepped out, making his way down to the Great Hall. Walking in he started towards the Gryffindor table when the conversation at the tables paused when people noticed his presence, some taking a minute to point to him.

Nonplussed Ron sat at the table and looked around awkwardly as he began piling his plate with scrambled eggs, kippers, and toast with jam. The minute he sat down, the table went silent and people stared at him.

Pausing he looked around. "Err, am I missing something?" He asked, looking around the table.

"Err, Ron. Have you seen this mornings edition of the Daily Prophet yet?" Hermione asked, sparing him a glance.

"No, not yet. I had a bit of a late start this morning. Why?" Ron asked.

Slowly, Hermione passed over her copy of the Daily Prophet, a slight grimace on her face as she watched Ron's reaction to the headline.

"Dumbledore's heir; Menace or Hero'

'We here at the Daily Prophet have received word that while making its way to Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Express was attacked by the forces of He Who Must Not Be Named. A group of dementors and their death eater handlers attacked the train and were fended off by students.'

'Dumbledore's heir, Ronald Weasley Dumbledore, and his companions drove off the dementors with fully corporeal patronuses. According to reliable sources present at the time, one dementor was in fact vanquished while the others retreated full on and were later rounded up and captured by the Ministry.'

'After the dementors fled, their death eater handlers attempted to attack the train themselves. And this is the interesting part, folks. Witnesses state that Lord Weasley Dumbledore at least partially transformed into a humanoid beast and killed the two death eaters with an incendiary attack.'

'Is Lord Weasley Dumbledore a hero for our children to model themselves after, or a threat to their safety? One source was quoted as saying, 'It was a terrifying sight to witness. Scared me so bad I thought I was going to faint. I reckon Weasley could be dangerous.'

'Others were impressed and awestruck by Lord Weasley Dumbledore's actions. 'Who knows what would have happened if Weasley hadn't been there. We could all be dead right now.' One source quoted.

'Another was quoted as saying, 'Weasley saved our lives. I was near the door where the death eaters and dementors boarded. Who knows what would have happened to me and my friends without Weasley and his friends.'

'Who can say what would have happened, but aurors and ministry officials arrived within just a few moments after the attack was thwarted and two teams of aurors were stationed on the train for the safety of its passengers.'

'A few questions remain, however. Should Weasley Dumbledore be allowed to remain a student at Hogwarts or should he be expelled? And why weren't aurors stationed on the train to guard it against attack before it left Platform 9 ¾?'

'We here at the Daily Prophet promise to keep you, our loyal readers updated."

Stunned, Ron swallowed and set the paper down, looking around the table at the faces around him. Some were looking at him in awe and wonderment, while many others appeared to be somewhat afraid of him and quickly looked away when they noticed his gaze.

"I don't believe this. How can they honestly think I'm a threat to the other students here. I'm the same person I was last year, mostly. It's not like I'm going to suddenly snap and start hexing people left and right." Ron fumed quietly at the table.

"We know that Ron. You can't let others get to you. Some people can be mule-headed at times. They'll come around." Ginny said, attempting to reassure him.

Through their link, Ginny and the others could detect not only anger from Ron but a small tinge of sadness and hurt at what he considered a betrayal by his housemates.

"I know, it's just not fair. I spent six years with these people and now suddenly they're afraid of me." Ron sighed.

"We're all here for you, Ron. Don't let them get to you. They're not worth getting worked up over." Gabrielle said as Hermione nodded beside her.

"They're right, Ron. The people who really matter will stick by you no matter what. Don't concern yourself with the rest." Hermione said.

After a few moments, Ron nodded and dug into his food, his stomach reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the feast last night.

As breakfast got underway there was a loud fluttering of wings overhead and a snowy white owl dropped down in front of Ron, sticking its leg out.

"Hey, isn't that Hedwig?" Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah. Maybe it's a letter from Harry. We haven't heard from him since he left. I hope he's alright." Hermione said.

Ron relieved Hedwig of her burden and offered her a slice of bacon which she promptly accepted before taking flight again.

Opening the letter, Ron read the contents, shock, and surprise crossing his features.

"Ron, if at all possible, we'd like to meet with you this afternoon around 4 pm in Headmistress McGonagall's office. We need you to sign a search order allowing the aurors to search the estates of the Carrows and Bellatrix Lestrange. Only a Wizengamot official can sign off on them and you're the only one we can count on for this task."

Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"What does it say, Ron? How is Harry doing?" Hermione asked, somewhat impatient.

"It wasn't from Harry. It was from Kingsley. The order wants me to authorize search warrants for the homes of Death Eaters. Kingsley wants to meet in McGonagall's office this afternoon with the forms." Ron said, passing the letter to Hermione who quickly read the contents.

"Oh, I see. Well when you meet with them, ask about Harry. We haven't heard from him in ages and I don't like it. We're supposed to be a group." Hermione said with a sigh.

Just then Professor Flitwick walked up behind them, passing out class schedules. Taking his schedule, Ron looked it over, his mood brightening just a little.

"My first class of the day is potions with the Ravenclaws at 9:30. I have about an hour and a half before my first class. Sweet." Ron grinned.

"Well I hope you don't spend it goofing off, Ron," Hermione said.

"Don't worry. I was actually planning to spend it reviewing some of the books on Rune based enchantments that I bought in Flourish and Blotts." Ron said.

"Really? I didn't know you bought books on that." Ginny said, glancing at him.

"You're actually going to spend your leisure time studying something educational?" Hermione asked, sounding impressed.

"Why is that such a shock?" Ron asked.

"Well, it's just in all the time I've known you, the only time you willingly study something its been books on Quidditch," Hermione said.

"Am I not allowed to grow as a person? Besides I thought maybe it could come in handy down the road. At the very least I might gain a new skill." Ron said.

"Well, I'm proud of you, Ron. Good for you." Hermione said, smiling.

Finishing his breakfast, Ron stood and left the great hall, heading for the second floor and his suite of rooms to study. Arriving outside the door, Ron stopped when a voice called out to him.

"Err, um Ron. Wait a moment. I was hoping I could have a moment of your time." Susan Bones said, walking up to him as he turned to face her.

"Oh um, hi. What can I do for you?" Ron asked.

"Well, I wanted to thank you for what you did on the train. It was very impressive and heroic of you." Susan said, smiling.

"Oh, well thank you. I was happy to help." Ron said, awkwardly.

"If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?" Susan said, before turning to go.

"Alright. Thank you." Ron said, watching her leave before entering his suite.

Walking over to the bookshelf beside the desk in the common room, Ron took out the book on Rune based enchanting and sat down, opening the book to read. An hour later, he felt he was beginning to grasp the basic concepts when he noticed the time. After marking his place in the book, he grabbed his bag and potions kit and headed for the dungeons.

TBC

In the next chapter Ron meets with the members of the order and signs a search order, the Ministry raids the homes of death eaters, further fall out from the daily prophet article and then a short time skip to the first weekend back at Hogwarts.

Author's note. A short lemon since we haven't had one in a while. I have decided to make Gabrielle bisexual in my story. Haven't fully decided about Hermione yet though I have received requests. Please stay tuned and tell me what you think so far.


	16. Chapter 16

Machinations

Chapter 16

Standing from his desk in the Transfiguration classroom, Ron collected his bag and filed out of the room behind the other students and made his way to his rooms in the lords Quarters. After giving Godric the password, Ron trudged into his rooms, dropping his bag on the small desk by the wall.

Crossing the room, Ron flopped down on the divan and sighed. The first day back had been a long one but it was finally over. It was always rough on the first day back to school after a long summer, he remembered with a sigh.

Reaching down he untied his trainers and pulled them off, dropping them down by the coffee table before laying back against the soft cushions with a sigh of content. "Finally some piece." He thought to himself.

The classes themselves were much easier thanks to his new-found maturity and his need to protect his girls. It was the other students that had been such a problem. After the article in the prophet, this morning word had spread fast and everything had changed.

Half the students in Hogwarts now idolized him, the other half nearly fled at the very sight of him. It wasn't as if he was a monster. He had been trying to protect them. The death eaters and dementors were the enemy, not him. But that mattered little to the sheeple, as he liked to think of them now.

Chuckling at his own deadpan humor, he closed his eyes wishing it all away. His mind drifting, he remembered that he still had a meeting with the Order to handle before he could really relax. Sitting up, he retrieved his wand and cast a quick tempus. Three fifty-two it read. He had just enough time to put on his trainers and head down to McGonagall's office.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Trudging along the first-floor corridor, he stopped outside the statue of the stone gargoyle which immediately leaped aside to admit him.

Walking up the staircase, he soon reached the door and knocked. "Enter." A voice called, and the door swung open to admit him.

Stepping inside, he was amazed at how much things had changed since the last time he had set foot inside this office. The office with its obscure relics and knickknacks were now replaced with tall shelves lined with books, the traditional portraits of the previous headmasters and new, rather spartan furnishings. Few traces of its previous eccentric occupant remained behind save for a portrait of a sleeping Dumbledore in plum-colored robes and matching wizard's hat.

As he entered, he spotted his father and Kingsley and Harry sitting in chairs in front of the desk. They stood up and turned to face him as he entered. Startled, Arthur could only stare as Ron stopped in front of them.

"Ron, you've changed. What happened?" Arthur asked, dumbfounded.

"I'm a male veela," Ron said, remembering that his parents hadn't seen his altered appearance yet.

"Oh, err um I see." Arthur stammered before closing his mouth.

"Good afternoon, Ronald," Kingsley said, stepping forward and offering his hand.

"And to you, Kingsley. Wonderful to see you again." Ron said, smiling and shaking his hand.

"Hello, Ron. You're looking good. It's been awhile." Harry said, grinning.

"It sure has. You shouldn't have left without telling us, mate." Ron said, frowning.

"I'm sorry, mate. I didn't want you or Hermione to get hurt. I realize now that I can't do it all myself." Harry said.

"I guess we have both changed a lot then." Ron said, looking around awkwardly'.

"Quite. Anyway, we were hoping that you could authorize a few search orders in your capacity as a member of the Wizengamot." Kingsley said, holding out a handful of forms.

Taking a seat in one of the vacated chairs, Ron held out his hand, taking the forms Kingsley offered.

"Just sign right there at the bottom," Kingsley said, holding out a self-inking quill.

Ron held up his hand to forestall any further conversation as he looked each form over carefully before nodding. "You realize that until I'm officially seated in October, these documents have no real weight behind them, so you'll have to either wait to carry them out or find someone else to sign them," Ron said, looking up at Kingsley.

"That is alright. We can go ahead and get them signed at least." Kingsley said.

"And I have your personal assurances that you won't do anything stupid like trying to carry out these search orders without the full backing of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement behind you," Ron asked, looking up at him.

"Well, err…this is a matter of urgency. The outcome of the war depends on us finding the remaining objects before the dark lord discovers what we're up too. It's a matter of utmost importance." Arthur stammered next to Kingsley.

"Indeed. Well, I cannot sanction a search order for you if you carry it out in the capacity of a private citizen rather than a member of the Ministry police force. It would be completely illegal and could land us all in Azkaban. I have a pregnant fiancé to think about. I simply cannot approve your search orders without a DMLE presence to supervise the search." Ron said, shaking his head.

"What? You have a what? Pregnant fiancé? You're getting married? When did this happen?" Arthur asked stunned.

"You're engaged? When did that happen, Ron?" Harry spluttered.

"I understand and respect your concerns, but I am not sure who else we can turn too," Kingsley said.

"What about Madam Bones? She openly opposes the Dark Lord and has a seat on the Wizengamot as Regent for the House of Bones. In addition, she is head of the DMLE and can be of great help to the Order, if you were to secure her cooperation." Ron supplied.

"We have tried to go to her on multiple occasions, but she is unwilling to use her authority over the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to sanction private groups such as the Order. She feels it would be a breach of ethics." Kingsley sighed.

"I'll write to her for you. Her niece, Susan Bones, heiress to the Ancient and Noble House of Bones, owes me a favor. Maybe I can have better luck. If not then after I'm seated, I'll use my position on the Wizengamot to open a full investigation into the properties and possessions of known and suspected death eaters, which would grant you the legitimate authority you need." Ron said, shaking his head.

"So that's it then? You're not going to help us, Ron?" Arthur stated somewhat disappointed in his son.

"Now, now. I said I couldn't help you in an official capacity. However, there are other ways I can help you search their estates." Ron said, fixing them with a grin.

"Such as?" Kingsley asked warily.

"When Dumbledore died, he willed the majority of his possessions to me to help with Harry and his search for the Dark Lord's soul containers. Some of those included enchanted artifacts which when activated can temporarily deactivate wards on certain properties or else mask an individual's presence entirely in certain restricted areas." Ron said.

"Really? He never mentioned them to me when I visited his office before." Harry said.

"Well, he didn't keep them in his office. They were hidden away in his Gringotts vault." Ron said.

"Dumbledore, you crazy fool. Seventy years I knew that man and he continues to surprise me even now." McGonagall said, shaking her head as the portrait of Dumbledore continued to snore.

"He was quite the clever and sneaky fellow that Dumbledore. Unfortunately, I wasn't made aware of their existence until after you had run off." Ron said, looking at Harry.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're saying Dumbledore owned burglar's tools? Why? What could he have possibly needed them for?" Kingsley asked, completely shocked.

At this line of discussion, the portraits of various headmasters and headmistresses around the room began to listen in to their conversation and whisper to each other.

"I'm certain I don't know what he used them for nor did he care to tell me. He did, however, leave his pensieve and a couple of memory vials in which he talks about the dark lord's soul containers; what he thinks they are and where he suspects they may be hidden." Ron said, ignoring the looks of shock.

"We've already identified the Horcruxes. We just need to find out where the cup is hidden." Harry said, with a sigh.

"Well according to the memory vials, Voldemort hid them in places with great historical significance to the wizarding world as well as places that meant a lot to him. Others he gave to his death eaters to watch over. Have you tried convincing the goblins to search the vaults of the convicted death eaters?" Ron asked.

"We are waiting to hear back from Bill. He is away on business for Gringotts but we owled him yesterday." Arthur said.

At the mention of his eldest brother's name, Ron stiffened slightly before willing himself to relax. Getting upset over nothing was what the old Ron did. He had grown up. But still a tiny moue appeared on his face and his hands twitched slightly as he recalled the vision of Fleur crying in the bedroom at Shell Cottage.

"Just out of curiosity, how many Horcruxes have you located and destroyed so far?" Ron asked.

"Five so far. The diary, the ring that ultimately killed Dumbledore, a locket, Ravenclaw's diadem and the one in my scar. The Goblins have a special ritual, similar to exorcism for purifying cursed objects. In this case, they transferred the Horcrux from my scar to a pig bred for slaughter and then, err well you get the idea." Harry said.

"So that leaves what two left now?" Ron asked.

"Yes. The one in Hufflepuff's cup and Voldemort's familiar Nagini. We will destroy her when we go after Voldemort unless we get lucky and Voldemort sends her on another errand." Harry said.

Arthur visibly shuddered, remembering his encounter with Nagini outside the Department of Mysteries. It was not an experience he cared to repeat.

Shaking his head, Ron stood up. "This Friday, after classes are finished and with Headmistress McGonagall's blessing, I will meet you at Gringotts and hand over Dumbledore's ahem…inventions to help you with your quest to search the death eater's estates. In the meantime, I'll owl Madam Bones and you can contact Bill and get the Goblins to search their vaults." Ron said.

"You are legally an adult and entitled to leave the grounds at any time, Mr. Weasley, however, I am grateful that you have at least consulted me first. Since it's for the Order you have my blessing. So long as you keep it to yourself. I'd rather not have all of our students taking off back and forth on a whim." McGonagall said.

"Of course, Headmistress. I'll keep it to myself." Ron said, nodding in her direction.

"We really appreciate it, Minerva," Kingsley said.

"Think nothing of it," McGonagall replied.

"Well now that this is settled, we should get going," Arthur said.

"Very well. Take care. Oh and Harry, send us an owl once in a while to let us know how you're doing. Err, Hermione worries a lot about you, so um yeah." Ron said awkwardly, staring at the floor.

"I'll do that then. Err, tell her I'm sorry for leaving without telling anyone." Harry said, voice thick with emotion.

The two stood there avoiding eye contact with each other for a few moments before Kingsley cleared his throat. "So we'll see you at Gringotts then. Great. Take care now." He said.

"And you as well. All of you." Ron said, glancing first to Harry and then to his father.

Kingsley led the way out, followed by Harry and then Arthur who smiled briefly at his youngest son before filing out the door and down the staircase.

Ron turned to follow when McGonagall spoke behind him.

"Mr. Weasley, a word if I may," McGonagall said.

Wondering what this was about, Ron turned around to face her. "What can I do for you, Headmistress?" He asked.

"Professor Delacour has discussed with me her rather delicate condition and the rather unconventional relationship the two of you share. I won't prevent you two from building on that relationship, but I must insist you do so behind closed doors and with the utmost discretion. While in public, you are expected to treat her with all the respect due to a Hogwarts staff member. Is that clear?" McGonagall asked, sparing him a serious look.

"I understand, Headmistress. I will always treat her with the respect she deserves both in public and in private. And we will both be discrete." Ron said, trying his best not to blush.

The idea of discussing such a topic with the elderly headmistress of his school was incredibly uncomfortable and he longed to flee the room and never look back.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. You may go now." McGonagall said.

Immensely grateful for the chance to leave, Ron quickly nodded his head before opening the door and taking the steps two at a time until he reached the bottom and hurried on his way. Casting a quick tempus he saw that he had about an hour and fifteen minutes until dinner was served in the Great Hall.

Groaning, Ron dreaded sitting down to eat with everyone staring at him or avoiding him like the plague. The whispered conversations that stopped when they saw him in the halls only served to further annoy him. He never realized how bad Harry had it until now. Shaking off a pang of guilt he continued on his way.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

"What are we looking for exactly, boss?" A short auror asked as they walked through the halls of the Carrows Manor.

"Dark Artifacts, evidence of death eater activity, secret rooms and documents. Anything that will give us a leg up in the war." The senior Auror on duty replied in a gruff voice.

An hour ago, a group of aurors and two ward breakers were dispatched to search the homes of the Carrows, the Goyles, and Crabbes.

The call had come out unexpectedly from Madam Bones early that morning and if the size of the Carrows manor was anything to go by, they were looking at a very busy weekend.

After a thorough interrogation of the Carrow siblings, they learned that Voldemort was doing research on objects known as the Deathly Hallows and that they had planted a spy inside the Department of Mysteries who was to steal any and all research the Unspeakables had on the Hallows and report back.

They had also learned of a plot to assassinate the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. The dark lord's agent in play had been arrested and interrogated as well and had revealed yet more spies in the Ministry.

It appeared that the Ministry was worse off than they thought. At this rate, the dark lord would have control of the Ministry by New Year if they didn't act. Thankfully, Madam Bones and a grateful Scrimgeour had secretly begun to purge the ministry.

Already many less than popular faces within the Ministry had suddenly begun to vanish. When questioned about one such person, Madam Bone's face went blank and in a completely neutral voice, she replied that nobody by that name was employed by the ministry.

The Carrows had further revealed that Voldemort was currently in residence at the home of one Theodore Nott and would remain there until early October at which time he would return to the more secure Malfoy manor.

Madam Bones had agreed to cooperate with the Order, as payment for the life debt her niece owed Ron, and out of their mutual desire to put an end to Voldemort once and for all. They were currently in the process of planning an assault on the Nott residence.

The aurors searched room by room before returning to the Entryway where Senior Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt was coordinating the search efforts. After reporting their findings, the team of aurors secured the manor and called it quits for the day. They had found out very little at the Carrows manor, other than what they already knew.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

After speaking with Bill and gaining further assurances from the Ministry, the goblins agreed to search the vaults of known and convicted death eaters. According to the terms of the treaty, the Ministry could, with the approval of the Goblin King, seize the contents of vaults belonging to convicted criminals, provided the goblins received their thirty percent share of the confiscated valuables.

And so a team of heavily armed goblins led a solemn Mad-Eye Moody down into the dark recesses towards the vault of one Bellatrix Lestrange, where the goblins had begun to take careful inventory of its contents.

The rail cart stopped just outside the vault and the goblins led the way inside where many more goblins were milling about, cataloging the contents.

As Moody stepped inside, a goblin in elaborate plate armor stepped forward. "Greetings, human. I'm Ragnok V, leader of the Goblin nation." He said, eyeing Moody carefully.

"A pleasure, I'm sure. Forgive me, but I wasn't aware that goblin royalty concerned themselves with something as mundane as vault seizures." Moody said, in a gruff voice.

Scowling, Ragnok spoke. "Usually we don't, however, my people discovered a rather surprising artifact while searching this particular vault."

"Surprising artifact, you say?" Moody said, turning serious.

"Oh yes. An object of a highly unpleasant nature, human. One whose presence is forbidden in Gringotts by the terms of the treaty and has since been confiscated and properly neutralized." Ragnok said, his scowl deepening.

Considering his next words carefully, Moody spoke. "This object wouldn't happen to contain the fragment of a human soul would it?"

If Ragnok had been displeased before, he was absolutely livid now. "Oh indeed it did, but no more I'm afraid. So you knew all along that such an object could be found in Gringotts and failed to inform us?" Ragnok said in an icy tone.

"Actually we only recently began to suspect that such an object could be found here," Moody said, uncomfortably.

"And still you failed to mention it specifically when you requested that we search this vault," Ragnok said.

"Forgive me, your highness. The matter was of a highly classified nature. We couldn't risk word getting out of what we were looking for lest the dark lord receive word and act. And in the event that we were mistaken we neglected to inform you. For this, I apologize for both myself and for the Ministry." Moody replied, a tinge of fear creeping up his spine.

"You realize that this is a direct violation of the treaty and grounds for war." Ragnok thundered as a squad of four goblins approached, each carrying a sword at his waist and a battleax in both hands.

"I assure your Highness that was never our intent. I beg you to reconsider. Neither of us will benefit from another war." Moody said, eyeing the armed goblins carefully. Goblins were more than capable of dealing with wizards when the mood struck them, and he was not eager to die any time soon.

"You have violated a centuries-old treaty. If we are to remain at peace, then we will need a new understanding. This is your first and only warning. This will not happen again if you wish us to remain friends. I have arranged to meet with your Minister to discuss the terms of a new treaty." Ragnok said, quietly.

Nodding, Moody bowed and assured Ragnok of the Ministry's full cooperation. After Ragnok had calmed a bit, they managed to get on with the task at hand, and Ragnok again assured him of the horcrux's destruction.

It was time to report back to the order and prepare to take the fight to the dark lord.

TBC

In the next chapter, Harry, the order and the Ministry lead an assault on the dark lord for the final showdown.


	17. Chapter 17

Machinations

Chapter 17

"Any minute now. Any minute. That strange little elf of yours should have planted the device by now and when the wards come down, we move." Kingsley said as he paced.

Nearby several squads of aurors were waiting in formation, preparing to apparate into the Nott Residence when the signal came.

"Alright, let us go over the plan one more time while we wait," Kingsley said, turning to Harry who stood with his invisibility cloak, the sword of Gryffindor and the Dumbledore's invention to mask his presence.

"As soon as the wards come down, the aurors and DMLE officers apparate in full force to attack the Nott Residence and create a distraction. Meanwhile, you, Mad-Eye, Remus and Arthur distract Voldemort while I take care of Nagini. When she is dead and his Horcruxes are gone, I move in and deal the finishing blow to Voldemort and put things to an end for good." Harry said.

"Excellent. Just don't do anything stupid to attract attention to yourself, boy. That device won't do any good if you decide to play the hero and alert the dark lord to your presence before we're ready." Mad-Eye barked.

"I know. I know." Harry huffed.

"Good. Have you run a last-minute check of your gear?" Moody asked.

"Yes, sir. I did it five minutes ago when you asked the first time." Harry sighed.

"Don't back talk me, boy. Your life could depend on this." Moody said.

Overhead an alarm blared and with a series of loud cracks, the aurors, and DMLE disapparated to Nott Manor.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

All around him people screamed and shouted as spells shot back and forth through the night air. Nearby an auror was dueling with two death eaters at once but there was no time to stop and help.

He was on a mission. He had to find that wretched snake as fast as possible. Pausing, Harry used the point me charm then headed off in the direction indicated his wand in his right hand and the sword of Gryffindor at his hip.

Racing through the corridors of Nott Manor, Harry passed a group of death eaters who were sprawled on the floor, unmoving. Concealed by his invisibility cloak and Dumbledore's masking device, he continued on his way.

Stopping in an alcove, Harry was about to use the point me charm again, when a hissing voice spoke from behind him. "I see you there, human."

He sensed the attack seconds before it came, giving him just enough time to throw himself to the side and look up, his wand flying from his hand and his cloak slipping free, having been caught on a piece of furniture.

Meanwhile, the massive form of Nagini struck the stretch of the wall he had been standing in front of only seconds before, the wood and plaster wall crumbling away as Nagini reared up for another strike.

Swearing, Harry quickly rolled to the side again, his hands fumbling for the sword in the scabbard at his waist as Nagini lunged.

At the last minute, Harry managed to draw the sword and bring it up in front of him as he found his feet.

Nagini stared at him, slitted eyes glittering with malice as she opened her mouth in a hiss, massive fangs bared in a challenge as she stared him down.

Swallowing nervously, Harry suppressed a shudder, ignoring the panic and the voice in his head telling him to run. It was too late to run now. Either Nagini would kill him or he would kill her.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

They found him in a study near the library on the second floor. The dark lord was seated on a large throne-like chair, his back to them as he stared out a large bay window that looked over the grounds and the battle taking place below. He turned to face them as they approached, a cruel smirk appearing on his face.

"So you've come to challenge me, have you? Fools. I am immortal." Voldemort said in a quiet voice, standing and drawing his wand in a fluid movement as he took a step forward.

"You were immortal. Not anymore. We found your Horcruxes. They're gone now. And Nagini will soon be dead as well." Arthur said, his wand drawn, a deadly serious look on his face.

"Impressive. But even if you found one or two there's no way you found them all. I've gone further down the path to immortality than any wizard before me." Voldemort hissed in a voice filled with contempt.

"We found all seven of them. The cup, the locket, the ring, the diadem, the diary, the soul fragment in Potter's scar. And as we said, Nagini will be destroyed soon too." Remus said.

"You'll soon be mortal and then anyone can kill you," Tonks said, taunting him.

"We'll see about that. After I kill the four of you, I'll simply make more. In time I shall rule the British Isles and later the world." Voldemort said, glaring.

"The madness ends here, Riddle. It's been a wild ride but the party's over. It's time to answer for your crimes." Moody said.

With a hiss of rage, and a voice that promised pain Voldemort swore, a livid look on his face. "You dare use that filthy name to address me?" Raising his wand, Voldemort cast the first curse and the battle began in earnest.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Harry ducked and dodged, trying to avoid Nagini's lunging attacks while watching for an opening. For such a large snake, Nagini was incredibly fast. Much faster than the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. He supposed it had something to do with the difference in size.

What Nagini lacked in brute strength and ferocity, she made up for in speed, agility, and a deadly cunning that the basilisk could never hope to possess. Harry was certain of one thing though. He really hated snakes.

Spotting an opening, Harry lunged forward, intent on cleaving Nagini in half with the sword of Gryffindor when her tale swiped out, knocking his feet out from under him.

The sword clattered onto the floor just out of reach as Harry lay sprawled on his back. Nagini poised over him, savoring her victory as she prepared to strike when a quiet pop sounded and Nagini was thrown back several feet with a loud hiss of pain.

"You will not harm Harry Potter," Dobby said, standing in front of Harry, a tiny hand outstretched.

Harry climbed to his feet, picking up the sword as Dobby levitated Nagini into the air, the snake twisting and thrashing helplessly, as Dobby's spell held her trapped in the air. "Do it now, Harry Potter sir," Dobby said in a tone Harry had never heard from the hyperactive little elf before.

Walking forward, Harry raised the sword of Gryffindor and with one quick swing, cleaved Nagini's head off, watching as it rolled to the floor.

"Thank you, Dobby. You saved my life. When this is all over, I'll do my best to repay you." Harry said as a solemn Dobby nodded wearing a pensive expression.

"You're friendses be battling with the Dark Lord in the study. I'll take you there." Dobby said, striding forward, leading a sedate Harry to follow.

As they neared the study, they heard the sounds of crashes, curses, and explosions as the battle raged furiously inside. Stepping into the room, Harry saw Voldemort holding his own again Moody, Remus, and Arthur. Tonks lay unconscious under a fallen bookshelf nearby.

Rushing forward, Dobby used elf magic to aid in the duel, launching the most bizarre spells at him, some of which included deboning spells used for cooking meat, scouring charms, banishing spells and more. All with the intent of helping the others distract Voldemort while Harry crept forward, concealed by his invisibility cloak.

Sneaking up behind Voldemort, Harry paused watching and waiting. He was likely to only get one chance at this. He wanted to make it count. Spotting his chance, he struck, impaling Voldemort with the sword, driving the blade between his ribs and out his front.

It took only a few seconds for the basilisk venom to do its work and slowly Voldemort collapsed into a twitching heap on the floor of the ruined study before his movements ceased and he lay dead.

Panting, the members of the order stood around the corpse of Voldemort hardly daring to believe it, save Remus who immediately rushed over to check on Tonks. Smiling at the pair, Harry sent up a silent prayer of thanks.

"It's over. He's dead at last. I can hardly believe it." Arthur said.

"We'll see about that," Moody said, casting a spell at the corpse of Voldemort causing it to burst into flames.

"Bloody hell. A little warning next time, Alastor." Arthur snapped as he and Harry leaped back in surprise.

"Sorry, Arthur," Moody said.

Remus walked up, supporting a dizzy Tonks who looked about confused before spotting the burning body of Voldemort. "Holy hell. He's really dead then." She said, amazed.

Walking out of the study, they saw aurors moving about securing the manor. The battle outside had died down as the aurors claimed victory, stripping captured death eaters of their wands and any portkeys before transporting them to holding cells in the Ministry.

Things were bound to be busy for the next few months as Death Eaters were put on trial and Wizarding Britain recovered from the war. But all this mattered little to a relieved Harry who for the first time since he entered the Wizarding world nearly 7 years ago was finally able to enjoy life instead of looking over his shoulder.

He had a lot to look forward too. His return to Hogwarts for one. Sorting out the Potter estates and holdings for another. But most of all, patching things up and starting anew with a certain fiery redhead. Smiling to himself, Harry lost himself in idle fantasy.

FIN


End file.
